


Mr Fisher & Mrs Drake

by showmeyourtardis



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Heist, Honeymoon, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Angst, POV Alternating, post uncharted 2, pre uncharted 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:34:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23326330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/showmeyourtardis/pseuds/showmeyourtardis
Summary: When the famed "Musgravite Twins" earrings slip through Nathan Drake's fingers, he and his band of thieves come up with a new plan to get them back. The plan involves lots of free champagne and Nate and Elena sharing a bed - Nate has never been happier.It's a fake marriage fic, y'all.
Relationships: Nathan Drake/Elena Fisher
Comments: 94
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this got away from me a bit, expect a lot of chapters coming up 
> 
> For context, I imagine this takes place after Uncharted 2 but before Uncharted 3. I wanted to write a fic which explained the sudden wedding rings in Uncharted 3.

Nathan Drake broke through the wooden boards blocking the doorway, allowing Chloe Frazer, Elena Fisher, and Victor Sullivan to pile into the small room at the back of the abandoned building. Nate took one final glance behind them, checking they hadn’t been followed, and ducked in after them. Sully and Nate flicked on their torches, brightening the dark room.

“That was way too close,” Chloe said, as soon as she could see.

Nate rounded on her, “Yeah, you don’t say. Why the hell did you start shooting?”

“One of them found our hiding place, forgive me for not letting them kill us.”

“I was dangling thirty foot in the air without a weapon! You could’ve taken him down quietly.”

“And _you_ could’ve stopped to come up with a plan instead of climbing up the side of a building, as usual!”

“Okay, okay,” Sully interrupted their argument before it could spiral, “We should all calm down. Maybe smoke a cigar or two, nurse our injuries.”

He nodded his head pointedly at Elena, who had sat down on an old wooden box, her injured wrist cradled to her chest. Chloe met Nate’s gaze, a silent truce passed between them. Nate wasn’t even mad at her, really. He just became overly sensitive whenever Elena hurt herself. Last year, he’d come so close to seeing her die, and now every injury she got made him terrified.

Nate left Chloe and Sully and pulled up a box next to Elena. He sat down, angling his torch between them so he could see her face.

“How is it?” he asked.

“It’s fine,” she lied.

“Can I?”

Nate held his hands out to her and for a moment it looked like she wasn’t going to hand her wrist over. Delicately, she placed her injured wrist in his hands. Her skin was hot, he could already feel the swell in her wrist. As he gently brought her wrist closer to look for bruising, she hissed in pain and he breathed out a quick apology.

“It’s just a sprain,” she said, ever the stubborn patient.

“We’ll get some ice.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure this place has tons of ice just lying around.”

“Stranger things have happened.”

Nate relinquished her wrist back to her. She returned to cradling it tenderly in her other hand. A crash startled them both as Chloe pried off a board on the window, letting sunlight stream into the room. Nate left Elena, content that she was fine for now, and joined Chloe by the window, looking out onto the streets they’d just run through. She pulled out her binoculars and peered through the dirty glass.

“Elena’s good,” Nate spoke quietly so Elena couldn’t overhear.

“She’s a trooper,” Chloe said. She paused, binoculars to her face, and added, “I really didn’t mean to let her fall.”

Nate patted her shoulder, “I know. I just get...”

He shook his head. He didn’t want to admit that the thought of Elena getting hurt drove him crazy. Chloe probably already knew because she nodded her head slightly as he drifted into silence.

He cleared his throat, eager to break past the moment, “What do you see?”

Chloe handed him the binoculars, “There, right in the middle of town. That tall building with the huge pool.”

Nate surveyed the town. They were on the West side of São Miguel, having stowed away on a cargo ship yesterday. Nate had never been to the Azores before, but so far he was impressed. It was windy, but it was also beautiful, full of old architecture and beaches. Nate loved a beach.

Chloe eased his head into the right direction, “Over there.”

Nate spotted the place she was talking about. A beautiful white stone building almost directly in the middle of town.

“What about it?”

“That’s the most expensive hotel on the island. If my hunch is correct – and they usually are – Faustino will be there.”

Nate lowered the binoculars. They’d followed a man called Faustino all the way here from New Zealand. He had what they wanted. The Musgravite Twins, a pair of incredibly expensive earrings worth a whopping $70,000. They had been within Nate’s grasp in New Zealand, but Faustino had got there first.

“So… we break in?” Nate asked. It wasn’t the most thought out plan, but he was game.

“No, I have a better idea.” She took the binoculars back off Nate and tucked them into her bag. She turned away from the window, “Elena, can I have your phone?”

Elena struggled momentarily to get her good hand into the pocket of her shorts, before tossing her phone to Chloe. Nate returned to his boxseat next to Elena, and Sully leaned on the wall beside him. The three of them watched Chloe fiddle with Elena’s phone, before listening to a muttered one-sided conversation.

After a moment, she smiled triumphantly and tossed the phone back to Elena, “I’ve got a plan.”

Sully blew out a cloud of cigar smoke, “Feel free to share it anytime.”

“Cutter thinks Faustino came here with his Mistress, Priya.”

“And that helps us how?” Elena asked.

“Patience, my dear. If Faustino and Priya are anywhere it will be the Sol Grand Hotel, the most expensive hotel in town, and perfect for couples. Charlie just booked the honeymoon suite.”

“Wouldn’t four rooms make more sense?” Sully asked.

“No, because we’re not all going in. Only two of us are.” Chloe was met with blank faces, and she sighed like a misunderstood genius, “Two of us will go in, disguised as a married couple on their honeymoon, and scope out Faustino.”

“No, no, no,” Nate said, shaking his head, “I see where you’re going with this. Last time me and you were together I almost died in an icy train crash. Not again, I’m out.”

“I’m flattered, but I wasn’t talking you and me,” Chloe’s eyes slid over to Elena.

“Me and Nate?” Elena asked. She let out a laugh, “No way.”

“Bit defensive there,” Nate said.

“I just mean, I could fake marry Sully, surely?”

Nate spluttered, offended, “You’d rather marry Sully than me?”

Elena shrugged, but her answer was clear on her face. Nate, his mouth open in shock, looked to Chloe for support but she was trying – and failing – to hide her smirk.

“That doesn’t make sense. It’s unbelievable, Faustino will see right through it. A girl like you with someone like him?” Nate glanced to Sully, “No offence.”

“Oh, of course not. Why would that possibly offend me?” Sully muttered.

Elena stood up, “But it makes sense for me to be with someone like you?”

Nate stood up to meet her, “What do you mean someone like me?”

“You know, your whole...” Elena gestured to him with her good hand, encompassing the whole of him, “thing.”

“My thing? I have a thing?”

“Oh jesus, you even bicker like a married couple,” Chloe complained.

“Chloe, do I have a thing?”

“She’s got a point, Nate. You’re a bit...” Chloe pulled a face as she struggled for the right word, “pretty.”

“Pretty!” Elena exclaimed happily, “That’s it. You’re pretty.”

“Pretty?” Nate repeated, “I am not pretty. I’m… Handsome!”

Chloe and Elena burst into laughter. Nate glowered at them but it only made them laugh harder.

“Stop laughing.” He turned to Sully, who was pretending to mind his own business and smoke his cigar, “Sully, am I pretty?”

“I’m not getting involved,” Sully mimed washing his hands of the conversation.

Chloe and Elena were still laughing. Nate dropped onto his wooden box as they relished in his annoyance. He wasn’t pretty. He was handsome, and rugged, and other manly words. He barely even styled his hair. He could climb a rock cliff without gloves. He’d been in two fist fights just this morning. That wasn’t _pretty!_

“I hate you two being friends,” Nate sulked.

Slowly, giggles still occasionally overcoming them, Chloe and Elena stopped laughing. Elena’s cheeks were rosy, Chloe was clutching her stomach. Nate waited, his jaw set, still insulted.

“All right,” Sully said, when they’d finally stopped, “Pretty face aside. Elena and Nate go into the hotel disguised as a newly married couple, then what?”

“They get information on Faustino, which room he’s in, where we can find him day-to-day, where the Twins might be,” Chloe explained. “Meanwhile, we keep an eye on them from a distance, make sure they stay out of trouble.”

“That’s a full time job with these two,” Sully said.

“But won’t Faustino recognise us?” Elena asked.

“No. He only knows me, and all the guards who saw us are dead.”

Chloe was studying Nate and Elena with concentration. She narrowed her eyes as she surveyed the two of them. Nate felt like a display in a museum as she searched for anything that might give their act away.

“We need rings,” she said, finally.

“I have a ring,” Nate said.

“Yes, dear, you have a ring,” she flicked Francis Drake’s ring hanging from his neck, “We need one for Elena.”

“No, I mean, I have a ring for Elena,” Nate explained.

Silence followed his words. Chloe, Elena, and Sully were staring at him, shocked. It took a few seconds for Nate to realise what he’d just said, and he felt heat creep up his neck. He backtracked hastily.

“Not _for_ Elena. I didn’t buy a ring for Elena, I just have a ring for her. Wait, it’s not _for her._ Never mind, just give me a minute.” Nate slid his satchel around his body and began to rummage through it with shaking hands. He pushed past two notebooks, spare bullets, a pack of mints.

“Uh, Nate?” Chloe prompted.

“It’s fine, I know it’s here somewhere.” Nate’s fingers closed around the small silver band, “Aha!”

He held his hand out, the ring tiny in his palm. Everyone was still staring at him. Elena flicked a look at the ring like it was a coiled snake waiting to strike. He rolled his eyes, and brought the ring between his thumb and forefinger. He got down on one knee in front of Elena. The almost fearful look on her face disappeared and she let out a relieved laugh.

He held the ring up to her, “Elena Fisher, will you be my fake wife?”

“I’d love to.”

Luckily her left hand was the uninjured one, and he carefully slipped the band around her ring finger. No one pointed out that it fit perfectly. No one noticed that Nate’s throat had closed up. She lifted her hand and studied the ring as it glinted in the sunlight.

“Why do you have that?” Chloe asked.

Nate stood up, “What? You haven’t found thousands of rings? And you call yourself a thief.”

Nate deflected easily. He met Sully’s eyes and quickly looked away. Nate did find rings all the time, and necklaces, earrings, bracelets. But this ring hadn’t been found, it had been bought.

“We’ll need cleaner clothes, some luggage. What else do honeymooners need?” Chloe asked.

“Lingerie,” Sully said, far too quickly.

Elena and Nate groaned in disgust.

“You’re a dirty old man, Sully,” Nate said.

“Elena and I will go shopping then. Nate, get cleaned up, you smell like a cargo ship.”

“Thank you,” Nate rolled his eyes.

“The honeymoon starts in an hour,” Chloe said, leading Elena back out of the abandoned building.

When they were alone, Sully gestured at Nate with his cigar, “You sure that was a good idea, kid?”

“What’s the worst that could happen?”

“She could find out who that ring was really for,” Sully said.

Nate waved his hand dismissively, “How? It’s fine. We’ll do this plan, find the Twins, and be relaxing on the beach with a few beers in no time.”

“Or you could just tell her you bought the ring for her.”

“No,” Nate said, firmly.

“Why not? Kid, I’ve never seen two people more-”

“No, Sully,” Nate interrupted, “The ring’s for the plan and then I’ll get it back. Just let it go.”

Sully lifted his hands in surrender and clamped his cigar between his teeth, “Whatever you say.”


	2. Chapter 2

Nate and Elena climbed out of their taxi in front of the Sol Grand Hotel. They’d gotten changed into something more suitable for their roles. Nate was wearing linen for the first time and Elena had swapped her cargo shorts for a summer dress. She’d had her injured wrist bandaged at a pharmacy on the way here. Nate offered his arm to her and she hooked her good hand into the crook of his elbow.

Nate paid the taxi driver, and lifted their bags off the pavement. He grunted with the weight.

“Need help with that?” Elena asked.

“No wife of mine is going to carry her own luggage,” Nate said.

Elena rolled her eyes. “Chloe, we’re here.”

Chloe’s voice spoke into their matching earpieces, “You should be all checked in.”

The two of them headed into the hotel. It was just as beautiful inside as it was outside. Nate almost dropped the luggage as the architecture caught his attention. He wanted to admire the marble statues, the carved columns, the high, arching windows. Elena’s grip tightened slightly.

“Focus,” she said, softly.

Nate and Elena headed for the large stone counter that acted as reception. Nate lowered the bags, and a bellboy was suddenly by their side, loading their bags onto a trolley.

“Uh, thank you,” Nate said.

The lady behind the counter was groomed to perfection, dressed in a clean, baby blue uniform. She smiled at them expectantly.

“Hi,” Nate said, “We’re booked into your honeymoon suite.”

“Congratulations and welcome to Sol Grand Hotel.”

“Thank you. Here’s our booking information and credit card,” Elena slid the documents and Chloe’s credit card over to the woman.

“Can we have some ice delivered to our room as soon as possible, please? My lovely wife has injured her wrist.”

“Of course.” The lady said something in Portuguese to the bellboy who nodded and took their bags away. She tapped at her computer’s keyboard before pulling out two keycards and placing them on the desk. “Everything’s sorted here, Mr. and Mrs. Drake.”

“Right. I changed my name,” Elena said, her smile looking a little more forced.

Nate held off his laugh, “Of course, sweetheart, because we’re married.”

“Right. Married. Me and you.”

The receptionist looked at them strangely, almost as if the usual honeymooners that came here didn’t sound so surprised to be married.

Awkwardly, she said, “You’re on your honeymoon, that must be exciting.”

“Oh this isn’t Elena’s first honeymoon,” Nate said, patting Elena’s hand still resting in the crook of his elbow.

The receptionist looked surprised, “Oh?”

Nate looked to Elena for an explanation, smirking at the surprised look on her face. She played it off smoothly, “Right. My first husband, erm, died.”

Nate almost choked on his laugh, managing to hide it behind a cough. The receptionist’s face was hilarious, her neatly groomed eyebrows were halfway up her forehead before she could control her expression.

“Oh. I’m, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“We actually met at his funeral,” Nate said, “Isn’t that funny?”

“Yes,” the receptionist said, clearly not finding it funny.

Elena jabbed her elbow into Nate’s ribs swiftly, and Nate let out an unexpected gasp. He cleared his throat once more, the receptionist probably thought he had a terrible cough.

“On behalf of Sol Grand Hotel, I wish you both a great honeymoon. These are the keycards to your room, you’re in our penthouse. Anything you need is yours, just ask.”

“Thank you, come on, uh, honey,” Elena practically dragged Nate away from the receptionist before he could embarrass her further.

In the elevator, Elena swiped her keycard and pressed the button for the penthouse.

“Your last husband died?” Nate asked when the elevator started to rise.

“I panicked!”

Nate laughed and Elena pulled her hand out from the crook of his elbow in annoyance. It felt like a long ride up to their room, and eventually the doors breezed open directly into the honeymoon suite.

“Holy shit,” Nate said.

The room was huge and full of pristine white furniture. The first thing Nate saw was the wraparound balcony, beyond which he could see the impossibly blue sea surrounding the island. The next thing he saw was the bed, a huge, king-size bed with clean white sheets and rose petals sprinkled tastefully over it. It was romantic and enticing. Elena and Nate were going to be sharing that bed. The thought made Nate painfully aware of how close he was stood to her.

Their luggage had beaten them here, sat at the end of the bed. A bucket of ice and a fluffy hand towel waited for them on the table.

“Wow. We should get fake married more often,” Elena said, stood in awe just in front of the elevator.

“Don’t tempt me.”

Nate walked across the creamy carpet and gestured for Elena to sit in one of the cosy looking armchairs. She did as she was told, and he wrapped a few handfuls of ice into the towel. She placed her injured wrist on the arm of the chair, and Nate gently placed the compress on top of it. He knelt by the armchair, careful not to press the ice too hard. He watched her take in the room, admiring the strands of hair that had fallen from her bun, resting against the nape of her neck.

“What’s our first move?” she asked, turning back to him suddenly.

He dropped his gaze from her face quickly, “Chloe? Can you hear us?”

“Did Elena kill her first husband?” Chloe buzzed into the earpieces.

Elena rolled her eyes, “No, but I might kill my new one.”

“Before you kill Nate, the two of you should find Faustino,” Sully said.

“Got it,” Elena said.

Nate smiled at her, “Well, Mrs. Drake, how should we spend our first day of married life?”

“I’m not taking your last name, for a start,” Elena said. She lifted the ice pack off her wrist, “We should scope out the hotel, try to get a feel for what’s around.”

“Good idea.”

“And I know you’re dying to look at the architecture.”

Nate grinned. He opened his luggage bag and rummaged through their new clothes to find his journal. They headed back down to the main floor in the elevator. At the last minute, Elena slipped her hand into the crook of Nate’s elbow again, and he lead her out into the lobby. It felt natural to be this close to Elena, this mission was going to be a breeze, Sully had no reason to worry.

Nate paused in front of a marble statue of a woman bearing a water vase. He pulled out his notebook and began to sketch. Elena leaned on his arm to see his sketching. Nate took his time, partly to ensure he got the marble statue perfect, and partly because he could smell Elena’s shampoo when she was this close.

A member of staff in baby blue uniform approached them. He was holding a tray of champagne flutes. He held the tray out to them.

“Congratulations on your wedding. Complimentary champagne?”

“Absolutely,” Nate said, closing his journal and slipping it into his pocket. He took two flutes off the tray and passed one to Elena. “Cheers.”

They clinked their glasses together and took a sip.

“That’s delicious,” Elena said.

“Have you heard about our couple’s activities?” the man asked, still balancing the tray expertly on one hand. Elena and Nate shook their heads and the man bowed very slightly, “Please give me a moment.”

He left with his tray of champagne. Elena and Nate moved to sit at a small lounge area in the reception, sipping their champagne.

“Are you two married or divorced? Sit closer,” Chloe scolded in their ears.

Nate and Elena shared a glance. Elena looked out the window, “How can you even see us?”

“You’re supposed to be on your honeymoon. You should be practically dry humping,” Chloe said, ignoring Elena’s question.

Nate cringed at Chloe’s words. He didn’t want to be forced into Elena’s proximity like this. It felt awkward and uncomfortable. Usually he’d have no problem wrapping an arm around her, or grabbing her hand to pull her out of the line of gunfire. But this was far too forced, he was too aware of what he was doing.

Elena slid across the loveseat towards Nate, and he wrapped his arm around her. They were pressed together, thigh to shoulder, but Nate couldn’t enjoy it because he could feel Chloe’s eyes watching them, judging them.

“This is unbearable,” Elena said, softly.

“The champagne certainly helps,” Nate said, tapping his glass against hers and swallowing the last mouthful quickly. She let out a breathy laugh and followed suit, downing her champagne.

The staff member returned and handed them a brochure, “We have a variety of activities aimed at couples. Here at the Sol Grand Hotel, the focus is on you and your relationship.”

“Great,” Elena said, sarcastically.

“All activities and classes are free for those in the honeymoon suite, so please, enjoy.”

“Thank you. I will definitely drag Elena to,” Nate glanced quickly at the brochure, “Couple’s yoga.”

The man swapped their empty flutes for full glasses and disappeared. Elena cuddled into Nate’s side, the perfect actress, and sipped her champagne as they looked through the brochure. Some of the activities seemed fine, cooking classes, spa days, cocktail making. Others seemed very out of their comfort zone, couple’s yoga, candlelit dinners, something called _Sweet and Sensual Sunbathing._

“Cutter said Priya, Faustino’s mistress, is a romance writer. I bet they’ll be on a lot of these classes,” Nate said.

“All these photos of food are making me hungry.”

“We have Chloe’s credit card,” Nate said with a grin.

“Don’t bankrupt me,” Chloe interjected.

“We’ll try, but we have to make it believable, Mr. and Mrs. Drake want a luxurious honeymoon.”

“I’m not taking your last name,” Elena stood up and held her hand out to him. He took it, slipping his fingers between hers like he’d done it a thousand times, and she lead him into the hotel’s restaurant.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blushing and betting in this chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your lovely comments so far, they mean a lot to me :)

Elena would never admit this aloud, but she liked Nate’s hands. As they walked to the restaurant, holding hands like the married couple they supposedly were, she felt the rough callouses on his palm. She liked how big his hands were, how they swallowed her own hands. She liked how he always gave her hand two gentle squeezes, as if to say, you good?

She would never tell him, because Nate’s head was big enough.

In the restaurant, Nate and Elena were seated almost immediately. They must have some invisible sign on them that told the staff they were in the honeymoon suite, because they were met with congratulations everywhere they went. They were lead to a table right by the window, with views of the beautiful buildings across the street, lit by the setting sun. Nate pulled Elena’s chair out for her, his eyes already locked on the view. She knew he was dying to sketch the architecture.

When they were seated, the waiter presented them with menus and gave them a low bow. Elena looked around for the first time, taking in the soft light of the restaurant. She almost gasped when she saw the two people sat next to them.

“Nate,” she said.

Nate dragged his eyes away from the view, “Yeah?”

“Isn’t this restaurant beautiful?” she asked, tilting her head ever so slightly to the side, to tell him which way to look.

Nate, looking confused, followed the direction she had nodded in and his eyes widened when he saw what she had seen. Faustino and Priya, the two people they’d been sent to find, were sat right next to them by pure coincidence. Or maybe it was luck, Nate was unnaturally lucky.

Faustino was bald and bulky, but his face held a soft expression which was at war with the rest of his aesthetic. Priya had shiny hair, creamy smooth skin, and wore heavy make up. She was exactly what Elena thought a mistress would look like.

“Stunning,” Nate said, turning back to her.

They had to engage Faustino and Priya in conversation. They had to find out what room he was in, what plans they had for the week, how long they’d be here. Elena couldn’t see the Twins dangling from Priya’s ears, maybe Faustino hadn’t gifted them yet.

Elena tried to think of a plan while she studied the menu. She noticed there were no prices next to any of the food. It all sounded delicious and expensive. Azorean pineapple, fresh limpets, tuna steak. The most expensive thing on the menu was something called _Cozido das Furnas –_ a meat stew cooked in volcanic steam.

“Holy hell,” Nate said softly, careful not to be overheard.

“Chloe is definitely going to need a loan after this,” Elena replied.

Their waiter returned, carrying a tray of champagne flutes. He placed a glass in front of each of them.

“On behalf of us at Sol Grand Hotel, we’d like to wish you a happy honeymoon. For the night please enjoy this complimentary champagne, if you finish it, simply call me over and I will refill it.”

“Thank you,” Elena said. She had never been treated like this before, she could get used to the constant free champagne. They ordered their food, steak for Nate, fish for Elena.

Nate raised his glass in a toast. He smiled at her and she knew he was going to say something embarrassing before he even opened his mouth.

“To you, Mrs. Drake, and our future together.”

Elena clinked her glass against his, refusing to fall into the trap and tell him she wasn’t taking his last name. She sipped her champagne, smiling slightly at the grin on his face. He was enjoying himself with this joke.

“Did I hear you just got married?” Priya asked, startling the two of them out of their toast.

Elena blinked at Nate. That was easy.

“Yeah,” Nate said, proudly, “Two days ago, I finally locked down Elena after three years.”

“Congratulations,” Faustino said, raising his beer to them.

“I’m Priya, I write romance novels, can I interview the two of you?” Priya asked, practically shaking with excitement.

“Erm,” Elena flicked another glance at Nate, “We’re just about to eat.”

“Sorry, Priya’s been hounding every couple she’s seen recently. It’s all inspiration,” Faustino shrugged apologetically at them, unexpectedly kind for someone that looked like him.

“There’s some time before your food arrives. Elena, was it?” Priya asked.

“Yes, and this is my... husband, Nate,” Elena hoped Priya hadn’t noticed her hesitation.

“So, Elena, when did you know you loved him?”

Elena felt her voice disappear. She stared at Priya for a split second too long. She had to think of a lie. When did she fall in love with her fake husband? She flicked a glance at Nate but looked away quickly, her cheeks warming. A memory was pushing into her mind and she took a long swig of champagne to steel herself.

“Nate and I go hiking a lot,” she said.

She could feel Nate’s eyes on her but she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. The restaurant was uncomfortably warm, her cheeks were growing warmer. She was painfully aware of Sully and Chloe listening to this conversation.

“Two years ago, we were hiking in Tibet along this mountain trail,” Elena continued. “This particular section of path was really old and after Nate climbed across it, it crumbled away, leaving me stranded.”

“Oh no!” Priya gasped.

This story wasn’t completely fabricated, but she doubted Priya would find the true story romantic. Elena remembered the stone structures crumbling, the icy wind threatening to knock her to her death. Nate had been on the floor above her, having climbed his way around where she couldn’t. He had looked as panicked as she’d felt, trying to think of a way to get her safely back by his side.

“I was trapped behind this chasm, and Nate… he told me to jump.”

Priya and Faustino were hanging on her every word. Even Nate seemed captivated, though he’d been there, he knew how this story ended.

“He said he’d catch me,” Elena met Nate’s eyes. She let out a breathy laugh, “I didn’t even hesitate. I trusted him completely, so I jumped.”

Silence followed her story. Nate seemed at a loss for words, she could practically see his mind racing. She wanted to tell him it wasn’t true, that she was just lying for the mission, but her mouth was so dry. She swallowed the rest of her champagne and signalled for the waiter to top her up.

Nate was the first to break the silence. With a grin, he said, “And I caught her, obviously, I mean look at these muscles.”

Elena rolled her eyes. The weird spell that had fallen over them after her story had been broken.

“That’s beautiful, Elena,” Priya said, reaching across the gap between their tables to hold her hand. “The trust you described is hard to come by. You two make a beautiful couple. And you’ll make even more beautiful babies-”

Nate choked on his champagne. He spluttered and coughed, and Elena covered her mouth to hide her laughter.

Thankfully they were saved from any more embarrassing compliments by two waiters. One topped up their glasses, and another placed stunning plates of food in front of them.

“We’ll let you eat in peace,” Faustino said.

The two of them tucked into their food in silence. Elena could tell Nate was still thinking. He was pulling the same expression she’d seen one hundred times before – he was trying to solve a particularly difficult ancient puzzle in a temple. There was a wrinkle of thought between his eyebrows and she felt the weird urge to rub it away with her finger.

“How’s your food?” she asked.

He looked up at her as though he’d forgotten she was there, “Great, thanks. You?”

“Perfect.”

He smiled at her, and the tense wrinkle between his eyebrows softened. The waiter came around without being prompted and refilled their champagne a third time. Next to them, Priya and Faustino were talking quietly.

“We should go back to Tibet,” Nate said. He reached across the table to her hand, spinning the wedding ring around her finger. “Tell Tenzin about our wedding.”

Elena laughed, “He would be thrilled.”

“I wonder if he misses me as much as I miss him.”

“Almost definitely.”

Waiters cleared their empty plates away and offered them dessert menus, but the two of them were too full of champagne and luxury food to even read the menu. Priya and Faustino stood up.

“Would you like to join us in the lounge for more champagne?” Faustino asked.

“That would be lovely,” Elena said.

“And I can learn more about your relationship,” Priya beamed.

Nate stood and offered his arm to Elena, “What a great way to spend our evening.”

Elena slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and he patted it. As they followed Faustino and Priya to the lounge, he leaned down and whispered, “This is going to be terrible.”

“Maybe for you. I’m pretty good at this fake marriage thing.”

Nate raised his eyebrows, “Oh yeah? Care to put your money where your mouth is?”

“Hundred dollars says I’m a better fake spouse than you.”

“You’re on. Prepare to fall in love with me, Fisher.”

“Ha, you wish.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did somebody say there's-only-one-bed trope???

The four of them sat on two leather couches in the lounge. Priya cuddled up to Faustino almost immediately and Elena glanced at Nate. He gave her the tiniest shrug, and then opened his arms to her. She slid across the couch until she was pressed against him, and he wrapped a heavy arm over her shoulders. He was warm and comfy, and Elena couldn’t remember the last time she’d cuddled with someone this much. He pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head, and she flushed, glad for the low light of the lounge.

She had drank too much champagne. She placed her full glass on the coffee table in front of them to avoid getting any more drunk.

“This place is beautiful,” Nate said, twisting in the seat to admire the giant marble statues in the lounge.

“Are you into architecture, Nate?” Faustino asked.

“You could say that.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“He’s a historian,” Elena interjected, “Total nerd, really. Don’t get him started on Francis Drake, he will bore you to death.”

Nate narrowed his eyes at her, and Elena smiled back at him.

“And you, Elena, what do you do?”

“Elena’s a journalist but she’s thinking of quitting to become a housewife,” Nate said before Elena could even open her mouth.

It was her turn to glare at Nate, and he grinned right back to her.

“Right, Elena?” Nate prompted.

“Right,” Elena spoke through gritted teeth and a forced smile, “I’ve always wanted to be a housewife for you.”

“Aw, isn’t that sweet,” Priya said. “How was your first kiss?”

Nate and Elena stared at her blankly. They turned to meet each other’s gaze and Elena was barely relieved to see Nate looked as embarrassed as she felt.

She remembered their first real kiss after El Dorado. It was on a pile of treasure, because where else was Nathan Drake going to kiss her? After they’d had their picture taken with their spoils, Nate had pulled her close and kissed her suddenly and sweetly. They had been dirty and bruised and tired, but it was still the best kiss Elena had ever had. His hands on her waist, and her hands in his hair, and Sully saying _for crying out loud, give me some warning next time._

“Uh,” Nate said, dropping her gaze, “that’s not a good story. I’ll tell you about the first time she punched me in the face.”

“She what?” Priya asked, her eyes lighting up like Nate had just offered her the best story plot in the world.

“In my defence, he definitely deserved it,” Elena said.

“I did not!”

“You did! You ditched me on that dock.”

“For the last time, that was Sully’s idea. Be mad at him.”

“I’ve forgiven him,” Elena shrugged.

Nate scoffed, “But not me?”

“No. Never you.”

“You two are adorable,” Priya said.

“So sweet,” Chloe echoed in their earpiece, sounding like she might vomit any second now. “Can we redirect this conversation, please?”

Elena cleared her throat, blushing for what felt like the hundredth time. “Priya, that’s a beautiful necklace.”

“Why thank you, Elena, Faustino bought it for me.”

“You must have an exclusive jeweller,” Nate said, “I might need to get his number.”

“Perhaps,” Faustino brushed invisible dirt off his shirt and stood up. He held his hand out for Priya, “For now, we must retire. Congratulations on your wedding again.”

“Thanks. I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of each other over the next few days,” Elena said.

Priya nodded excitedly. As they left, she patted Nate on the shoulder, “Next time, I’ll be asking for the proposal story.”

“Bring your tissues,” Nate grinned.

When they were alone, Elena let out a yawn, “All that fake flirting made me tired.”

“Come on then, Mrs. Drake, let’s get you to bed.”

Elena stepped out of the shower in their en-suite. She changed into the pyjamas she’d bought with Chloe – a vest top and cotton shorts. Chloe had tried to convince her to buy something sexier and lacier, but she had shot that down immediately. Nate was enjoying this fake romance too much already, she didn’t want to make him any happier.

She hesitated by the en-suite door, glancing at her reflection nervously. It was the first night she and Nate were going to spend in their huge, romantic, rose-petal decorated bed. She felt shaky and anxious, like this was actually her first night with her husband.

She walked into the bedroom expecting to see Nate sprawled out on the bed. He wasn’t there. In fact, she couldn’t see him anywhere.

“Nate? Did you get cold feet?” Elena called.

“Out here,” he called back, and she saw his arm wave in the air from one of the cushioned benches on the balcony.

She headed out to join him. The cool, sea-salted breeze made her bare legs cold. She sat next to him on the bench, tucking her legs under herself to keep warm. He was sketching again. That little wrinkle of concentration was back between his eyebrows as he studied the dark view in front of him.

“No pyjamas?” she asked.

He looked down like he’d forgotten what he was wearing. He pulled at his linen shirt, “No. I usually sleep naked, but for you I’ll wear clothes.”

“I’m honoured.”

“Anything for Mrs. Drake,” Nate winked at her.

She laughed and shook her head, “I told you, I’m not taking your name.”

“I’ll wear you down.”

“Just like you wore me down into marrying you?”

The two of them laughed. Nate closed his journal and put it on the table, tucking his pencil against the side so it didn’t roll away. He twisted in his seat to face her. He took her hand in his absent-mindedly, his thumb brushing over the wedding ring he’d put there. She kept forgetting it was there, but he seemed unable to let it go, constantly seeking it out to fiddle with it.

“Should we talk about the elephant in the room?” Elena asked. She nodded her head towards their bedroom, “The giant, bed-shaped elephant.”

“Ah, I have a solution for that,” Nate said. “I don’t sleep.”

Elena drew her eyebrows together. She had expected a dirty comment, not that.

“You don’t sleep?”

“Not well,” Nate lifted one shoulder in a shrug, spinning the wedding ring around her finger. “I’ll stay out here, you can have the bed.”

“You’re not going to sleep at all?”

“Here and there maybe,” Nate deflected her question, like he so often did.

Elena watched him play with the wedding ring. That wrinkle of concentration was still there but his notebook was closed.

“Come to bed, Nate,” she said softly. He looked up, a mischievous grin on his face, and she held her injured hand up quickly to silence him, “For sleep, _only._ ”

Nate rolled his eyes, “Boring but fine. I can’t promise anything, though.”

“That’s what a girl wants to hear on her honeymoon.”

“Hey, you’re the one who said only to sleep.”

Elena stood up, keeping hold of his hand, and pulled Nate to his feet. She lead him back inside. She dropped his hand and brushed the rose petals off the bed unceremoniously. He laughed, and she turned to say something that was immediately forgotten when she saw him taking his shirt off. He met her eyes when he was shirtless and a smirk crept onto his face.

“Are you sure it’s just sleep you want?”

“ _Yes,_ ” Elena said, emphatically.

She turned back to the bed to avoid seeing the rest of his strip tease.

“We _are_ fake married, Elena, if you want to fake have sex with me, that’s fine too.”

“And I would be faking with you, Nate, I’m sure.”

“Ouch, that really hurt.”

Elena pulled back the sheets of the bed and climbed in. Nate, less dressed than before but thankfully not naked, slid into the other side of the bed. The two of them lay awkwardly on their backs, staring up at the ceiling.

Elena flicked the lights off. The darkness made everything so much more intimate. She could hear Nate breathing, feel the bed compress beneath him as he shifted. Part of her felt the urge to snuggle up to him, but she buried it down. It was habit more than anything else, that’s what she’d always done when she’d shared a bed with someone.

It had nothing to do with Nate.

“Elena? Are you asleep yet?” Nate whispered.

“It’s been three seconds.”

“Can I have your hand?”

“In marriage?” she asked, but she stretched her hand over to him anyway, “Why?”

“Not that one,” Nate said, “Your injured wrist.”

“It’s fine now.”

“Please,” he said.

Elena gave in and delicately brought her sprained wrist over to Nate. He rested it on his bare chest. Elena could feel the heat of his skin through her bandages. A moment later, he placed the ice compress onto it and she sighed as some of the ache in her wrist dissipated. It wasn’t nearly as sore as it had been when she’d slipped off that roof and landed on it, but it still ached.

“You really aren’t going to sleep?” Elena asked.

“Probably not,” Nate admitted. “You should get some sleep though, you’ve got a long day of falling in love with me tomorrow.”

“Again, you wish.”

“Goodnight, Mrs. Drake,” Nate said. “Try not to dream of me too loudly.”

“Night, Mr. Fisher. If you feel the need to cuddle me in the night, try to resist.”

“Ha, go to sleep, Elena.”

Elena shut her eyes and listened to Nate’s breathing. Through the open balcony doors, she could hear the wind and the distant crash of waves. She yawned again, and sank deeper into the soft sheets, letting sleep take her away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyone else dying of boredom during the lockdown? I hope this can entertain you for even a few seconds.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> adorable! if i do say so myself.

Nate hadn’t slept, just as he knew he wouldn’t. Instead, when he was sure Elena had finally fallen asleep, he had gently extracted himself and carried on sketching. Now, the next morning, showered and fully dressed, he flipped back through all his hard work. It started with a sketch of the view, then a sketch of Elena asleep, then some stories he’d invented for their fake relationship – including a proposal he had written and rewritten about twenty times. It never seemed quite perfect. He shifted in the armchair, made a note of some other classes the two of them could take to bump into Priya and Faustino.

He had just started to sketch the Musgravite Twins when Elena shifted in the bed.

“Good morning, my lovely wife,” he said.

“Ugh, too loud, too early,” Elena grumbled, rolling onto her other side.

“Oh yeah, you’re not a morning person,” Nate laughed. “How could I forget that temper tantrum you threw after El Dorado?”

“It wasn’t a tantrum,” Elena’s voice was muffled by the covers over her head.

“It so was. I’ll order us pancakes before you bite my head off.”

Nate headed for the phone and dialled room service. Elena’s voice stopped him before he could order, “Blueberry pancakes”

“Anything for Mrs. Drake.”

Nate ordered pancakes and returned to his notebook while Elena took her sweet time waking up. When she finally emerged from her sheet cocoon, she stretched and yawned, and Nate admired the way the sunlight spun gold into her hair. His fingers itched to sketch her as she was now, soft and malleable in the morning light. She moved to the armchair by his and rested her elbows on the table.

“You look grumpy,” Nate said.

“You look tired.”

“I’m not,” Nate turned the journal to face her, “I already spoke to Sully. Chloe’s not awake yet. But I’ve booked us onto most of the activities for today.”

Elena looked over the pages, stifling a yawn. The elevator doors breezed open and room service entered. Nate stood up to accept the two plates of pancakes and offered a tip to the woman. Nate brought the plates over, and Elena tucked into her pancakes immediately.

With a mouthful of pancake, she asked, “When did you do all this?”

“When did I what, what, what?” Nate asked.

Elena swallowed her food, and laughed, “Sorry. When did you do all this?”

“I told you, I don’t sleep.” Nate ate a forkful of pancake.

“I’ll get you to sleep eventually.”

“That sounds like a threat.”

“It is.”

Elena stood up and stretched. Nate couldn’t help looking at her smooth legs beneath the tiny cotton shorts she was wearing. He looked back up to her face and she arched an eyebrow at him.

Nate pretended he hadn’t just been caught staring, “You should get dressed, we’re making pottery in an hour.”

Once she was dressed, the two of them put their earpieces in and radio’d Sully to let him know they were going to class.

“You crazy kids have fun,” Sully said, sounding hugely underwhelmed by the thought of pottery class.

They headed down to the third floor in the elevator. Nate flipped through his journal, looking for the proposal story he’d written. He read it quickly, and then re-read it again. He wasn’t happy with it. There was something missing. It seemed phony, like a proposal in a TV show. He shut the journal with a snap.

“Are you still up for the bet or do you want to give up now?” Elena asked.

“You’re all talk, I’m going to wipe the floor with you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, you should hear how I proposed to you. It made you cry.”

“Out of regret, probably.”

“Ouch.”

Just before they reached the third floor, Elena sidled up to Nate and slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. He moved his other hand to cup hers, brushing his thumb over the wedding ring, feeling the smooth metal on his skin. He still found it hard to believe she was actually wearing it.

They stepped out of the elevator and Nate spotted Faustino and Priya almost immediately. Faustino’s hand was in the back pocket of Priya’s shorts as they headed into the pottery studio.

He turned to Elena but she spoke before he could, “Don’t even think about slipping your hand into my pocket.”

He laughed, because that was exactly what he had been going to offer. The two of them followed their marks into the pottery studio. After being handed a lump of soft clay each, they grabbed the end of the workbench that Faustino and Priya were on. The two of them were kissing, oblivious to the arrival of their new friends. Nate tilted his head towards them and raised an eyebrow, an obvious offer on his face.

Elena glowered at him but she was dying to laugh, he could tell.

When Priya and Faustino finally surfaced for air, Priya was surprised to see them there.

“Ah! The newly-weds, I thought we wouldn’t see you until this evening. I know it’s hard to get me and Faust out of bed sometimes,” she winked at Elena, and Nate was delighted to see a soft bloom rise in her cheeks.

“Good to see you too,” Elena said.

The four of them set up their workbench. An instructor flitted about the room, offering helpful hints and advice on how to create their clay masterpieces. For the first half of the class, the four of them focused on actually trying to make pottery. Elena and Nate decided to make coasters – for their coffee table at home, of course. They listened to Priya and Faustino chat about the beautiful weather, or the sailing trip they went on recently, interjecting here and there with an anecdote of their own.

When Nate had something that vaguely resembled a coaster, he grabbed the pots of paints and began to work on his masterpiece. He was trying to think of a way to bring that blush back to Elena’s cheeks. He was going to win this bet.

“Priya, you asked me when I fell in love with Nate. When did you fall in love with Faustino?” Elena asked, dipping her brush into the red paint.

Nate nodded at her approvingly and she winked at him.

“Ah, what a sweet story. Faust and I were in Thailand when I realised I loved him. Some of the details are private,” Priya gave a subtle glance to Faustino who had tensed up slightly at the mention of Thailand. “but he gave me a beautiful necklace he had bought. It was stunning, diamonds and sapphires cleanly cut and perfect for my skin tone. I knew then that I loved him.”

“Diamonds _and_ sapphires? That must be some hardware,” Nate said. Diamonds and sapphires and Thailand, they were all ringing bells. If only had his old journals here, he was sure he’d find what was on the tip of his tongue.

“I haven’t even told you the best part, the diamonds are inlaid into a golden dragon pendant,” Priya said. Nate almost gasped, but managed to hide it.

“Priya, darling, don’t brag,” Faustino said, shutting her down effectively.

Nate feigned being impressed. In reality, he was hoping Sully had heard that description. Priya was describing the very necklace he and Sully had looked for almost a decade ago. No wonder they’d never found it, Faustino had beaten them to it.

Nate flicked a glance to Elena and she met his gaze with a slight nod. Their theory that the Musgravite Twins would be a gift for Priya was looking more and more likely.

“Now, Nate, it’s your turn. Tell me about the proposal, and spare no detail,” Priya gushed. “I may steal it for my novel if it’s good enough.”

“Oh it’s good enough,” Nate dripped his paint brush into the gold, glittery paint. He thought of the story he’d written and memorised last night, but it was still missing that spark. It wasn’t perfect, and Mrs. Drake deserved perfect. Instead of lying, he told a true story.

“Elena and I had gone on holiday with a few friends,” Nate said. It had been with Chloe, Sully, and Cutter but he didn’t want to risk saying the name Chloe in front of Faustino just in case he became suspicious. “We were in New South Wales, in Australia.”

“We all ended up in this wine bar, the five of us, and I remember thinking that this was right. Every other moment of my life until that point had been missing something,” Nate sounded sincere even to his own ears, “Elena was telling a story about our time in Tibet, and our friends were laughing, and I realised that it was her that had been missing. Until that point I’d never been as happy.”

Elena was dotting drops of paint onto her coaster, her eyes focused and purposefully avoiding his gaze.

He could picture that night so clearly in his head, burning brighter than any other memory. The five of them sat at a quiet table in the balmy night, wine glasses in hand. Elena talking about how Nate had dangled from their moving vehicle and still managed to complain about her driving. Nate pointing out that her driving had been particularly terrible, and Elena exclaiming that they were being shot at!

It had felt right. It had felt real, more real than anything else. The next day he bought the ring. The very same ring that was where it belonged right now, on Elena’s finger. Of course, he had never actually worked up the courage to propose, but Priya didn’t need to know that.

“After that night, I bought a ring. I took her back to that same bar, and I told her everything you’ve just heard. That she’s right, she’s real, she’s all I ever wanted and didn’t even know. And obviously she said yes,” Nate grinned.

Elena finally looked up, her eyes meeting his, and Nate realised he’d said too much. He’d told the truth, he’d bared his heart, and Elena could see it all. He loved her. He had loved her since she’d punched him in the face, it had just taken him a stupidly long time to realise. Her expression was unreadable, but Nate knew he’d blown it. He hoped he could play it off as a lie. That’s what they were doing after all, just pretending. He was doing it for the bet.

Priya sniffed and wiped her eyes, “Beautiful, simply beautiful. The way you feel, Nate… wow, I could write a hundred books and never capture that feeling.”

She seized him in a tight hug that smelt strongly of perfume. He awkwardly patted her back until she released him. Elena nuzzled her face into his neck as soon as Priya left him.

Nate pulled her closer and whispered into her hair, “Point to Nate.”

“It’s not over yet,” she whispered back.

Then she let him go, pretending to be overwhelmed with emotion. Nate had to give it to her, she was good at acting like a girl in love. She returned to her coaster, and the final moments of the class were wiled away in thoughtful silence as they worked.

At the end, Elena held her coaster up. It was painted with little red hearts, and in the middle she had written: _Sic Parvis Magna, Cowboy._ Nate laughed at the sight of it. He was definitely putting that on display in Sully’s plane, it was the best thing he’d ever seen. He presented his own coaster to her. In gold, glittery paint, he’d written: _You_ _Are My Greatest Treasure._

Elena laughed, “So cheesy.”

“Seems like you’re just a sore loser.”

“My coaster is so much better than yours.”

“No way.”

“Where are you two off to now?” Priya asked as the four of them made their way out of the studio. Priya and Faustino left their handmade mugs behind, but Nate and Elena kept their coasters. “We’re off to the pool, if you care to join us?”

“Sure, we’ll meet you there?” Nate offered.

“Sounds perfect,” Priya and Faustino headed to the pool, while Elena and Nate returned to the elevator.


	6. Chapter 6

Back in their room, Nate watched Elena toy with the coaster he’d made for her. He placed his own gifted coaster onto the bedside table, propping it up against the lamp so he could see it better. He pulled their still-full luggage out from under the bed. Neither of them had bothered to unpack.

“Nate, that story-”

“Did you even buy swimwear?” Nate interrupted, pulling out linen shirts and pressed trousers.

“Yeah, there are some trunks in there for you. The proposal story-”

“Pretty good, right?” Nate interrupted again. He didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to face the questioning look on Elena’s face, he didn’t want to risk admitting that it was true, he just hadn’t actually proposed in the end.

“Pretty good,” Elena said with a slight sigh, resigned to not address the topic Nate kept deflecting.

She carefully placed the coaster onto her pillow, and took her own suitcase into the en-suite. Nate sat back on the floor, crouched in front of his suitcase. He rubbed a hand across his face. He had to get a hold of himself. He was letting the lines between reality and this lie blur too much. They weren’t married, she didn’t love him, they were on a job.

Maybe he should have let her marry Sully.

He found the trunks Elena had mentioned, and smiled when he saw them. He rolled his eyes, but got changed anyway. Elena came out of the en-suite a moment after he was dressed, and Nate felt his mouth go dry. Elena was all bare, smooth skin in a small green bikini. He’d never seen this much of her skin, and he couldn’t keep his eyes from lingering on the dip of her waist, the long line of her legs. She once again arched her eyebrow at his very obvious admiration.

“You look good,” Nate said, looking away.

“You too, cowboy.”

Nate looked down at his swim trunks and their cowboy boot print. He narrowed his eyes at her, “Was this your idea or Chloe’s?”

“It was a mutual decision,” Elena shrugged, reaching up to tie her hair back, “They didn’t have Francis Drake themed swimwear so we improvised.”

She dropped her earpiece to the table.

“Funny, funny people,” Nate said.

“Come on then, cowboy,” Elena winked at him and called the elevator back up to them.

After pressing the ground floor button, Nate’s earpiece buzzed. Elena’s was still on the table in their room, saved from the pool water that would break it.

“Listen, we just saw a few armed guards enter the hotel. Could be spies for Faustino, just be careful,” Sully said.

“Got it, Sully,” Nate said. He turned to Elena, “Faustino’s got spies, Sully and Chloe just saw them.”

The two of them left the elevator, Nate’s arm around Elena’s shoulders. When they reached the pool, they spotted Priya, sat by the pool edge, her legs dangling in the water as she read from a novel. Faustino was stretched out on a sun lounger nearby, his sunglasses obscuring his face, it was hard to tell if he was awake or not.

“I’m going to go for a swim,” Elena said, she leaned up and pretended to pop a kiss on his cheek. Instead she whispered, “You talk to Faustino.”

“Have fun,” Nate chucked her under the chin. He watched her walk to the pool, the sun bathing her bare skin in golden light.

He did as he was told, and took the sun lounger by Faustino. It was wider than a normal sun lounger, enough to fit two people on, and Nate guessed that was what it was for. The sun beat down on him but it wasn’t unbearable. After all, he’d climbed the outside of buildings in hotter weather than this. He watched Elena swim up and down the pool, pausing each time she reached Priya to exchange a few words.

“Nate,” Faustino said, suddenly, “That short for anything?”

A waiter brought round two glasses of free champagne, and Nate was surprised to think this, but he was getting sick of complimentary champagne. Faustino ordered a cold beer, and Nate made it two. His mouth was already watering at the thought.

“Nathan,” Nate answered, when the waiter left them.

“Nathan what?”

Nate kept his face neutral, watching his fake wife swim up and down the pool. He waved at her when she turned to face him, and like a good wife she blew a kiss back to him. He pretended to catch it, and was rewarded with a genuine laugh from her before she flipped onto her back and continued swimming.

“Nathan Fisher,” Nate lied. He didn’t want to tell Faustino his real name. Probably Faustino would only know Chloe by name, but Nate didn’t want to risk it. This wouldn’t be the first time his reputation had preceded him.

“And do you? Fish?”

“Not well.”

The waiter came over with his beer and Nate accepted it gratefully. His first mouthful was crisp and cold.

“Listen, Nathan,” Faustino said abruptly, the light tone disappearing, “If you and your wife would like some time alone, just say the word. Priya gets a little obsessed with lovebirds, and she sees a wealth of romance novels between you two.”

“It’s nothing.”

“She’s a bit much,” Faustino sipped his beer, observing Nate through his dark sunglasses. Nate kept his eyes on Elena. “All I’m saying is if you need a bit of peace and quiet, give me a sign.”

“Got it. Likewise, I guess.”

“Yes, well, it’s mine and Priya’s anniversary this week, so I’ve got a little something special planned for the next few days. I’d rather not be interrupted, you get it.”

“I do,” Nate kept his face neutral at this new piece of information. He hoped Chloe and Sully had heard it.

Faustino patted his arm a bit harder than necessary, “You’ve got a good one there. Best keep your eye on her, she’s a firecracker.”

Nate clenched his jaw and forced a smile. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to interpret that as a threat, but he did.

Faustino released Nate’s arm. He swallowed the last mouthful of his beer and left the bottle on the floor, “Enjoy your day, Nathan. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”

“No doubt.”

Faustino headed to Priya and bent down to say something in her ear. Nate watched Priya wave goodbye to Elena, and then follow Faustino back into the hotel. Elena turned to Nate and saw the look on his face. She climbed out of the pool and towelled off as she walked towards him. Nate tried so hard not to let his eyes linger on her hips. Sully’s comment about the possibility of spies must have been in both their heads, because Elena slid onto the other side of the sun lounger and cuddled up to him. She smelt like chlorine, her bikini top wet against Nate’s arm.

“Did you get that, Chloe?” Nate asked, passing his beer to Elena.

“Anniversary and weird, creepy threat. Heard it all,” Chloe said into his ear.

Elena gave Nate a questioning look, and he patted her back reassuringly.

“We should follow them across town,” Nate said quietly. To the outside eye, he was just whispering sweet nothings to his wife.

“No, we can’t risk him seeing you. If he suspects anything you’ll be dead by morning,” Chloe said.

“He doesn’t seem the type.”

“He is,” she insisted. “Nate, don’t do anything stupid. Sully and I can handle this.”

“Yeah, kid, enjoy your honeymoon. We’ll tail him,” Sully chimed in.

Nate didn’t say anything. He wanted to follow Faustino and Priya.

“Nate,” Chloe said, like he had just broadcast his thoughts across town, “I mean it. Stay put. We’ll radio if we get anything.”

“Okay,” Nate said.

“Okay?”

“ _Okay_ ,” Nate insisted. “Got it.”

Elena pressed the quickly warming beer bottle into his hands. Nate sipped it while she grabbed the sun cream. It was hot, Nate might have to order a few more beers to keep cool. He watched Elena rub sun cream into her legs. Chloe was speaking sense, if the two of them got caught following Faustino and Priya then their disguise was useless.

Nate placed his beer bottle on the floor and held his hand out for the sun cream. Elena looked at his waiting hands with an amused look.

“We want it to be believable,” Nate said, a grin creeping onto his face.

Elena passed him the sun cream, “Keep it PG, Nate.”

“Anything for you, Mrs. Drake,” Nate squirted sun cream into his hands, “Oh. Actually, Faustino thinks my last name is Fisher.”

“Ha, so you are Mr. Fisher!”

Nate gestured for her to turn around, “You won that one.”

Nate rubbed sun cream onto her back. She had a sprinkling of freckles on her shoulders that he’d never seen. He found a knot in the space between her shoulder blade and spine, and gently massaged it out as Faustino’s words played on repeat in his head, _best keep your eye on her._ Was that a threat? Or was it just a sly comment from someone who had a habit of cheating? Did he suspect them? Did he have people watching them right now?

Elena let out a little moan and Nate’s hands froze. Neither of them moved, Nate barely even breathed.

“Did you just-”

“No,” Elena interrupted him quickly.

Nate beamed, “You just moaned.”

“I did not,” Elena said, her ears tingeing pink with the embarrassment.

“Wow, Elena, I didn’t know sun cream was such a turn on for you.”

“Oh my god,” Elena tilted her head into her hands, “You’re never going to let this go, are you?”

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Nate brought his mouth close to her ear and whispered, “I do give great massages.”

She elbowed him in the ribs, and Nate pulled away laughing. He lay back on the lounger, swiping the cream off his hands onto Elena’s towel. Elena, her cheeks still rosy, lay down next to him. He reached for her hand, his thumb automatically going to the ring.

“Where are Chloe and Sully going?” she asked.

Nate sighed, “They’re following Faustino and Priya through town. They’ve got an anniversary this week.”

“Think he’ll gift the Twins today?”

“Possibly.”

“Well, come on then, let’s go,” Elena sat up, dabbing the rest of the water off her skin quickly.

“Whoa, whoa,” Nate said, sitting up with her, “Chloe and Sully are on it, we have to stay here.”

Elena arched her eyebrow at him, her mouth tilting into a smirk, “Sure, we _could_ stay here. Or we could leave this damn hotel and do some actual work.”

“Elena-”

“Nate,” she interrupted, “we’re going to lose track of them if we don’t leave now.”

Nate smiled and stood up when she did, “Okay but if Chloe asks, this was your idea.”


	7. Chapter 7

Elena threw on the first dress she’d grabbed out of her suitcase, not even bothering to take off her wet bikini. She snatched a shirt for Nate and a backpack big enough to store an emergency gun. She didn’t plan on using it, but with Nate it was better to be prepared. She looked at her earpiece on the table for a moment too long, before deciding against it. Nate had his in, it would be fine.

Down in the lobby, Nate met her at the door and she passed him the shirt. As he got dressed, he said, “The receptionist said they ordered a taxi to José do Canto Gardens.”

“How did you get her to tell you that?” Elena asked, glancing at the receptionist who was typing away on her computer.

Nate looked at her like it was obvious, “Have you seen my face?”

“I have, I’m not impressed.” Now dressed, Nate lead her out of the hotel and over to the taxi pick up point. “You bribed her, didn’t you?”

“I’ll pay Chloe back,” he held the taxi door open for her, “probably.”

Nate directed the taxi driver to José do Canto Gardens, and pulled the backpack onto his lap. He looked in, “Just the one?”

“We won’t need it. I don’t want to start a...” Elena glanced at the taxi driver ahead of them and lowered her voice, “a riot in the middle of São Miguel Island.”

“I’ll have this one then.”

Elena pulled the backpack away from him, “I’m the better shot, so...”

“What? How on earth are you the better shot?”

“What’s the plan?” Elena asked before this could spiral into an argument about who could shoot people better.

“Plan? I don’t have a plan.”

“Of course not.”

“Hey, if I recall correctly, this was your idea!”

The taxi pulled up at the gardens and Nate paid while Elena climbed out. She was greeted by luscious green grass and leafy trees. She kept an eye out for Priya and Faustino but couldn’t make them out amongst the other tourists.

“Why would they come here?” Elena asked as the two of them walked into the gardens.

Nate shrugged, “Maybe it means something to them.”

She lowered her voice, afraid of being overheard by his earpiece, “And Sully and Chloe are here?”

Nate shrugged again, “I don’t know, probably. I don’t think they have their radios turned on or they would’ve told us to go back by now.”

He held his hand out to her and she slipped her fingers between his. He squeezed her hand, two pumps. They set off into the park, the backpack dangling off Elena’s shoulder. The two of them were walking faster than the other visitors, not pausing to take in the scenery.

“And if we get caught?” Elena asked.

“We’re just another couple in the romantic gardens,” Nate lifted their entwined hands to make his point. “This was your idea, don’t tell me you’re backing out now.”

“I’m not backing out, I just like to have a plan.”

“Then you married the wrong man, Elena.”

“So people keep telling me.”

They weaved through a crowd of photo-taking tourists and Nate pulled her to a halt. He nodded his head, and Elena spotted Faustino and Priya admiring a smattering of wildflowers. Elena pulled Nate over to a large tree, which hid them from view a little better than milling tourists. Elena pressed her back up against the trunk, Nate placed an arm to the side of her, almost protectively.

“Can you see the Twins?” she asked.

“Nope, nothing yet.”

“No sign of Chloe or Sully either.”

“They’re moving,” Nate grabbed Elena’s hand, keeping his eyes on Faustino and Priya.

He pulled her swiftly along, careful to keep enough distance from Faustino to avoid drawing attention. The two of them stuck to the tree line. To outside eyes, they were just admiring the grand trees along the path.

Faustino and Priya stopped, and Nate and Elena froze. Priya pointed behind her, back towards them. Elena looked up at Nate with panicked eyes, and he looked around quickly for somewhere to hide. They couldn’t run back the way they’d come, it would attract too much attention. They were exposed. Priya and Faustino turned around.

“Just go with it,” Elena said.

“Wha-” Nate didn’t get to finish before Elena pressed him up against a tree trunk and kissed him.

His body was tense against her, his lips unmoving. For a split second she thought she’d blown it, Nate would push her away, and their disguise would be broken. But then he kissed her back. He seized her waist, dragging her closer. She wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders, arching up into him, her knuckles brushed the rough bark of the tree. His lips were soft and his grip on her was firm.

A part of her melted into the kiss. She was transported back to a dock loaded with treasure, warm hands on her skin, a laugh in her throat, the smell of the beach.

Before she could lose herself completely, she pulled away. Nate looked momentarily speechless. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Elena stepped back, separating herself from him. She could still feel his hands on her waist.

“That was erm...” Nate cleared his throat. He sounded husky. “Good thinking, Elena.”

“Yep,” she said, unable to form any more words.

“We should go find where they went.”

“Yep.”

They stood still for a moment longer, awkwardly. Nate stepped away first. After a pause, he offered his hand to her again and she took it. She found she couldn’t quite meet his eye. There entwined hands felt uncomfortably, stiff like they were just puppets doing as their master ordered. Elena licked her lips and then prayed Nate hadn’t noticed.

“I think they went this way,” Nate said.

Elena nodded and they set off to look for their marks once more.

It wasn’t the first time she’d kissed Nate, of course. They’d kissed after El Dorado, but this was different. They’d kissed then and it hadn’t been fake, it hadn’t been in a moment of panic, but why did this kiss feel so different? She couldn’t get it out of her head. The way Nate had grabbed her, pulled her close possessively. The scratch of his slight stubble against her chin, her arms around his shoulders.

She shook her head slightly, trying to dislodge the thoughts. She had to focus on Priya and Faustino, the mission, the Twins.

Nate slowed to a halt, gesturing to his earpiece when she shot him a questioning look.

“Got it,” Nate said, to whoever was on the other end of the radio. “No, no, we’re just… enjoying a nice couple’s massage.”

Elena snorted. Nate pushed her away jokingly, and then said to the earpiece, “You’re a dirty old man, Sully.”

“Yeah, radio silence,” Nate finished after a beat.

He reached for Elena’s hand almost naturally and pulled her towards the exit, “Chloe and Sully are on Faustino’s tail. It doesn’t look like the Twins are anywhere near here. We should go before they catch us.”

“Well, at least, we got out of the hotel for a bit,” Elena said.

“Thank god we got away from all that free champagne and relaxation.”

Elena laughed, “Should we flag down a taxi?”

“Depends. Are you going to be able to keep from kissing me again?”

Elena glowered at him, snatching her hand free of his, “I did that for the mission.”

“It didn’t feel like that,” Nate grinned at her. “First you moan during my massage-”

“Shut up, Nate.”

“Then you kiss me passionately-”

“Seriously, shut up, Nate.”

“What’s next? We already share a bed.”

“You know, I think I’ll walk home and leave you to your thoughts,” Elena turned on her heel and stalked off. She called over her shoulder, “Try and take a cold shower before you get back.”

“You, too!” he called after her, mirth in his voice.


	8. Chapter 8

Elena was still thinking about the kiss. She showered the chlorine smell out of her hair, her mind kept drifting to Nate’s hands. The way he’d held her waist was like he never wanted to let her go. Her mind wandered to the rough scratch of his stubble against her chin as she washed her face. No matter what she did, her head was intent on thinking about Nate.

It was, frankly, getting quite annoying now. She shampooed her hair more aggressively than she needed to and tried to shut her mind up. No matter how many times she told herself it was an act, it was for the mission, they were going to get paid and let this go, her mind kept asking, _what if?_

What if Nate wasn’t faking? What if _she_ wasn’t faking?

_Was she faking?_

They were spending too much time together, that’s all it was. She didn’t have feelings for Nate again, she’d put that very small chapter of her life behind her.

Then the voice in her mind chimed in and reminded her of that kiss.

She got out of the shower before she drove herself crazy. After towelling off, she bypassed all the sundresses she’d bought with Chloe, and pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She felt a little more sane now she was dressed more like herself.

She found Nate lying on his back on the cushioned, balcony bench. Sunlight shone on his strong, tanned arms as he held his journal up in front of his face. He looked relaxed, but there was a wrinkle of thought between his brows. Elena felt the urge to rub it away with her thumb. She also felt the strange urge to slide up next to him and press her face to his sun-warmed skin.

“Nate,” she said, startling him out of his thoughts. He shut his journal and lowered it to his chest, “Do you want to get something to eat?”

“Sure,” he stood up and as if to torture her, his shirt rolled up, revealing tanned abs. She looked away, pretending to be caught up in the view from their balcony. “C’mon Mrs. Drake.”

“I am not taking your last name,” Elena argued, following Nate into the elevator.

Once in the restaurant, they got more free champagne, ordered more decadent, expensive food. This time they were in a booth with no view outside the window, they only had each other to look at. They looked like a respectable couple, not at all like what they usually looked like. There was no dirt on them, no dried blood, no blooming bruises. Elena had even removed her bandage.

When they’d eaten and had their glasses topped up a few times, Nate pulled the activity brochure and his journal out of his pocket. Elena slid along the booth’s bench until her shoulder bumped his.

“What do you think our new friends will be doing tomorrow?” he asked, quietly, flicking to the next empty page of his journal.

Elena bent her head to Nate’s, the two of them studying the activities listed for tomorrow. Elena tried to guess what Faustino and Priya might be doing tomorrow – that is, if Chloe and Sully hadn’t got the Twins off them today. Elena suddenly realised that she didn’t want this to end. The thought of Chloe and Sully finding the Twins didn’t fill her with joy, it made her wish for more time.

More time to pretend to be Nate’s wife and be treated like a celebrity. When else could she rest her head on his shoulder like she was now? When else would he casually hold her hand, or wrap an arm around her shoulders, or hold onto her waist?

“Elena?”

“Huh?” she looked up to Nate’s expectant face.

He smiled slightly, “I said, what about art class?”

“No way, that’s practically cheating.”

“Cheating?” Nate asked, indignantly.

Elena plucked the journal out of his hands and flicked through it pointedly. She stopped on each page to point out his sketches, of the view from their balcony, of the marble statues in the lobby, of the beautiful buildings on the island.

“I could… learn to paint?” Nate offered.

Elena kept turning the pages. Her fingers froze when she came across a sketch of herself. It was her after the pottery class, holding her coaster up for his appraisal. She flipped back a few pages, finding more sketches of herself. There she was sleeping, wrapped up in sheets, with smudged pencil lines adding a soft aura to the sketch. Here she was swimming, there with a champagne flute in her hand, her on the cargo ship from New Zealand.

“Have you been drawing me?” she asked.

Nate put his champagne down, looking guilty. He carefully took the journal out of her hands and out of her reach, “No, that’s an old girlfriend.”

“She looks a lot like me,” Elena pointed out.

“What can I say? I’ve got a type.”

Elena’s cheeks felt warm. She wanted to see those sketches again.

“No art class,” Nate said, hastily changing the subject. “How about a couple’s massage? I could always get another bottle of sun cream.”

Elena glared at him, fighting the smile off her face. Nate grinned at her, and a little part of her unamused expression broke down.

“No massage,” she said.

“Fine, we’ll save that for the bedroom.”

Nate laughed as he dodged Elena’s elbow. She was getting slower at elbowing him in the ribs, or he was getting better at expecting it. Nate caught her hand quickly, there was something weird about his expression. He leaned down, bringing his mouth to her ear.

“We’re being watched.”

Elena giggled coquettishly, understanding Nate’s plan without needing to be told.

“By who?” she whispered back. She could feel Nate’s warm breath on her neck.

“The woman in sunglasses, she’s been staring at us since we arrived.”

“Maybe she wants you to sketch her.”

Nate breathed out a laugh, “Maybe she wants an amazing massage.”

Elena pulled away laughing. She wrapped her arms around Nate’s neck before he could move too far back. They were face to face, barely enough space between them for their breath. His eyes darted down to her lips.

“What should we do?” she asked.

“We should act like the married couple that we are.”

“Kiss me.”

Nate stared at her, that wrinkle of thought was back. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. It wasn’t like before, she didn’t force it, she waited for him to kiss her. He looked like he wanted to, his face leaned the tiniest bit closer, but he was holding back. Her fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck. She wanted him to kiss her.

Not because they were being watched. Not because they were a fake couple. But because she wanted him.

“Sorry to interrupt.”

Elena pulled away from Nate, too fast, cold air rushing into the space between them. It was like a spell had been broken, heat flooded her cheeks. She couldn’t face the waiter.

“More champagne?” he offered.

“No,” Nate said, clearing his throat, inching away from her slightly, “We’re good.”

Nate passed over Chloe’s credit card. When they’d paid, they stood up. Nate packed away his journal and the activity brochure. Neither of them spoke as they walked through the restaurant. As they passed the woman in the sunglasses, their observer, Nate wrapped his arm protectively around Elena.

She couldn’t face him. She knew she would see that confused look on his face, like she was a centuries old puzzle in a temple.

In the elevator, Nate let go of Elena. They headed up to their room and still neither of them spoke. Elena tried to think of something to say, anything at all, that could diffuse the tension between them but her head was too fuzzy. She wanted Nate, for real. She didn’t care about the fancy hotel and the champagne, and even the money they’d get for the Twins, she just wanted him to kiss her and mean it. She wanted him to seize her waist, press her onto the bed.

Nate picked up the hotel room phone before she’d thought of anything to say, “Two ice cold beers sent to the honeymoon suite, my good man.”

Elena shook her head at him fondly. How was he always so cool about everything? Dangling three thousand feet in the air, fighting off an army, or fake kissing someone he used to love – nothing phased him.

She felt like she was going mad and he was whistling happily. She headed for the balcony, grabbing the book Priya had leant her the other day. She lounged on the balcony bench, piling cushions behind her head for support.

She was a few pages in when Nate appeared with their beers. He looked pointedly at her legs stretched out across his side of the bench.

“What?” Elena asked, feigning ignorance. She turned the page of the book, reading Priya’s excessive use of adjectives.

“I buy you beer and you treat me like this?” Nate asked, offended.

“You didn’t pay for that, Chloe did.”

“Oh that’s how it is?”

“That’s how it is.”

“Fine,” Nate placed the two beers on the low, glass table. In one swift move, he lifted her legs and sat down on the bench. Her legs ended up in his lap. He looked at her sternly, “You made me do that.”

Elena glowered at him, and returned to her book. He passed her a cold beer, and pulled out his journal. He flicked a glance at her as she read, his pencil scratching against the paper audibly. After a few minutes of her reading and him flicking not-so-subtle glances at her, she put her book down.

“Are you sketching me?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know, why are you doing that?”

“Good comeback,” he said, continuing to draw.

Elena returned to her book. She read a few more pages. Priya was an okay writer, but she was distracted by Nate’s furtive glances.

“When did you learn to draw?” she asked.

Nate looked up at her with surprise, “I’ve never told you that?”

Elena marked which page she was up to and closed the book. She took a long swig of beer and shook her head, sinking down onto the cushions. She was glad they were talking like friends and not lovers. She needed a return to normalcy so she could get these stupid thoughts out of her head.

“I don’t sleep well,” Nate began, shutting his journal to tell his story.

“A fact that I’m going to change tonight.”

He flashed a grin at her, “Sounds like fun.”

“Nate,” Elena scolded.

“Okay, so I’ve never slept well. Even when I was kid in the orphanage. I would just lie awake and think about...” Nate looked like he changed his mind on what to say at the last minute. He stared off into the distance, picturing his past. He finally finished, “Stuff. That’s when I started drawing.”

“What did little Nathan Drake draw?”

“Francis Drake, mainly.”

Elena laughed, and Nate’s serious expression dissolved into a smile.

“And Henry Avery, and the other kids in the orphanage, and Lawrence of Arabia.” Nate’s hand came to rest on Elena’s ankle, unintentionally. He still looked like he was lost in thought. “Now I sketch Sully.”

“And me.”

“And you. And Chloe, Cutter, architecture, scenery. Francis Drake still makes an appearance from time to time.”

The two of them sat in thoughtful silence for a moment. The sun was setting around them, turning everything to gold. Elena thought of little Nathan Drake in the orphanage, struggling to sleep. It made her a little sad.

Nate reopened his journal and continued sketching. Elena watched his pencil drift over the page, his hands moving confidently and deftly. She returned to her book once more.

*

An hour later, Elena and Nate were sat under the balcony light. They hadn’t moved, much. Elena reached the end of the chapter and her eyes drifted closed. She caught her head before her chin hit her chest, opening her eyes with surprise. She started the next chapter, but her eyes were struggling to focus on the words. She yawned, nuzzled lower into the cushions. A few words later and she yawned again.

“Elena, go to bed,” Nate said.

“I’m not tired.”

“Liar. Go to bed.”

“I’ve decided to be like you and never sleep.”

“I always knew I was your role model. But you need to sleep,” Nate slipped out from under her legs, managing to do so without knocking her feet to the floor. “Don’t make me carry you.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Nate plucked the book out of her hands and placed it on the table, “Watch me.”

“Don’t you dare!”

Nate went to pick her up, one arm under her legs and the other under her shoulders. Elena slapped his hands away. He dodged her attacks, went to grab her. She smacked his hands again.

“Elena!”

“Don’t you dare!” Elena repeated, shifting out of his reach as best as she could on the bench.

“I’ve picked you up before.”

“Yeah, when I was bleeding out. If I had been conscious I would have said no.”

“I was saving your life!” Nate protested.

“Please, you were playing the hero.”

“Elena,” Nate laughed. “Stop fighting me and go to bed.”

Nate lunged, his hand managed to snake under her shoulders. She flung a cushion, and it bounced off his face to the floor. She immediately burst into laughter at the shocked expression on his face. He sank to his knees, ended up on her eye level, and laughed too. The two of them laughed stupidly.

As she calmed down, Elena realised just how close their faces were. How easy it would be to kiss him. She pulled away at the same time he did.

“I should go to bed,” she said.

“What a great idea.”

Elena got changed in the en-suite. When she came out, Nate was undressed and in the bed. The rose petals, which had miraculously returned to the bed sheets, were now swept to the floor.She raised her eyebrows at him.

“I thought you didn’t sleep.”

“I don’t, but I won’t say no to sharing your bed.”

Elena rolled her eyes, and slipped into the sheets next to him. He pulled out his earpiece and chucked it onto the bedside table.

“Night Elena,” he said, flicking the bedroom lights off.

“Night Nate.”

*

At some point in the night, Elena woke up. Her sleepy mind took a while to process that she was cuddled against Nate. Her head was on his chest, one knee rested on his legs. His bare skin was warm against her cheek, his chest rising and falling softly. Even half-asleep she knew this wasn’t right, she wasn’t supposed to be cuddling with Nate.

She rolled away. Nate rolled with her, one arm draping over her heavily. His mouth bumped her shoulder, he let out a sleepy grunt. They were spooning, wrapped up together tightly. His breath tickled her neck. She thought about pushing him off, breaking herself free, but her tired body wouldn’t let her. She was too comfy, too wrapped up. She let out a long, deep breath, already slipping back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can't go wrong with the classic accidental spoon


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor "God Damn" Sullivan

Nate woke up, which in and of itself wasn’t unusual. What was unusual was that he had woken up painlessly, peacefully. He had not been knocked out cold by someone’s fist. He had not passed out from exhaustion, or hunger, or blood loss. He had simply fallen asleep.

He suspected this had nothing to do with the impossibly soft bed beneath him, and everything to do with Elena, who was curled up in his arms, still fast asleep.

Nate yawned and stretched, his shoulder joints popping. Elena shifted as he moved, and let out a sleepy moan, somehow managing to tell him to stop moving without waking up. Nate lifted his head to see her face, her eyelashes brushed her cheeks, her face relaxed. His arm was still draped over her like a blanket, their fingers entwined where their hands met. His chest ached.

How could she be so close and yet so far away?

He was tired of this mission. He was tired of being Elena’s fake husband.

He eased away from her, ignoring another groan of protest she let out. At the edge of the bed, he paused to look back at her. She hadn’t moved in response to his absence. He leaned over and pulled the covers a bit higher on her, before grabbing her phone off the bedside table. He went onto the balcony and dialled Sully’s number.

“Elena?” he answered.

“It’s me,” Nate said.

“Something up with your radio?”

Nate glanced through the balcony doors, Elena was still sleeping. He slid the door closed quietly and leaned against the balcony railing. “I, uh, didn’t want to be overheard.”

“Ah,” Sully said, as if he’d been expecting this conversation. There was the sound of his lighter clicking to life, and Sully exhaled, “Trouble in paradise?”

Nate looked to the sea in the distance, glittering in the rising sun. “It’s getting hard to tell the difference between fact and fiction.”

Sully didn’t respond. He didn’t respond for so long Nate pulled the phone away from his ear to check he hadn’t accidentally hung up.

Finally, he said, “What fiction? You already bought her a ring.”

“We’re not actually married.”

“Look, kid, you can’t fool me, I know you too god damn well. There’s no fiction there.”

“ _She_ doesn’t love _me,”_ Nate clarified.

“If Chloe were awake, I’m sure she’d call you an idiot for that statement, but since she’s asleep, I guess it’s my job,” Sully exhaled again, Nate pictured a huge cloud of cigar smoke surrounding him. “You and Elena are smart, real smart, but you sure act dumb around each other.”

“Aw, Sully, you think I’m smart?”

“What I’m trying to say, wise-ass, is you’ll figure this out. I’ve seen you solve Latin riddles in a god damn cave with nothing but a lighter and a pencil. This is nothing compared to that.”

“This isn’t that easy.”

“Nothing worth having is.”

“Okay, if you’re going to get philosophical, I’m going to hang up.”

“Do the smart thing, kid.”

Nate hung up the phone. He looked down at the ant-like people on the streets. Maybe Sully was right, maybe it would be as simple as confessing.

He returned to the room, and found Elena sat up and awake. He felt himself smile at the sight of her.

“Hey,” she said, sleepily.

“Hey.”

“Who was on the phone?”

Nate glanced down at her mobile in his hand. He chucked it softly onto the bed, and lied, “Cutter. He wanted to see if we’d found the Twins yet.”

Elena stretched her arms above her head, arching her back. Sometimes it felt like she was torturing him on purpose. Nate sat on his side of the bed, careful to avoid looking at her chest. When she was done with her serene stretching, she leaned back onto the headboard.

“What do we have planned today, hubby?”

“Hubby?” Nate asked, unimpressed.

Elena shrugged, “I was trying it out.”

“We’re booked onto every class for today, but I’m not sure where Priya and Faustino will be.”

“Let me see.”

Nate got up to hunt down his journal with the list of classes on today. He passed it to her and headed into the en-suite for a shower. As he showered, he thought of Elena telling him to kiss her in the restaurant yesterday. God, how he’d wanted to. He’d wanted to taste the champagne on her tongue, feeling her hair run through his fingers, kiss her like she was his.

But he hadn’t. He couldn’t kiss her under this fake marriage again. He couldn’t torture himself like that again.

He left the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. He dripped water as he walked back into the main room. Elena closed his journal quickly when he entered and he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. Before he could ask, she looked up at him and her mouth fell open slightly. She looked away quickly, colour rising in her cheeks.

Nate looked down, remembering that he was just wearing a towel. He smirked to himself and grabbed some clothes out of his suitcase. Elena fiddled with the bed sheets, pretending to be wholly captivated by the plain, white sheets to avoid looking at his naked torso.

Nate ducked back into the bathroom to get dressed. He came back out again, his hair wet. Elena’s cheeks were still rosy, and Nate couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her blush before they came to this hotel. In fact, maybe he’d never seen her blush until this mission.

“I’ll order breakfast while you get dressed,” Nate said.

Mid-morning, Nate and Elena found Priya and Faustino in the reception of the hotel. Priya wrapped Elena into a hug first and then Nate. Faustino finished signing something on the desk and passed the paper back to the receptionist.

“We just signed up to dance class,” Priya explained.

Nate felt his face fall and tried to fix his expression before anyone noticed, “Dance class? Like tap?”

“Romantic dancing,” Faustino clarified, looking as uncomfortable with the idea as Nate did, “It was Priya’s idea.

“Oh!” Priya explained, and Elena and Nate jumped. “You should join us. I bet you’re a great dancer, Nate.”

“Me? Erm, I don’t think so.”

“You don’t need much rhythm for this kind of dancing,” Priya winked at him, “it’s more an excuse to get close to your wife.”

“Oh...” Nate said, fixing a grin to his face, “Great.”

“Won’t you join us?”

“Uh,” Elena flicked an awkward glance at Nate, “I’m not sure it’s for us.”

“Nonsense,” Priya linked arms with Elena and swiftly pulled her towards the ballroom, “You’ll get into it. With a body like that, who wouldn’t want to be close to Nate?”

Elena said something to Priya that Nate didn’t quite hear as she was pulled away, and Priya let out a shrill laugh. Faustino and Nate were left by the reception, watching their partners disappear into the ballroom.

“Shall we?” Faustino asked.

“Let’s get this over with,” Nate agreed.

His earpiece crackled and Chloe’s laughter sang down the radio, “Please, god, get someone to film you dancing.”

Nate couldn’t reply without raising Faustino’s suspicions so he just scowled as he walked. In the ballroom, couples milled about the room. Some were stretching, others looked nervous. Nate guessed the woman in the sparkly dress and kitten heels was the instructor.

He found Elena and Priya. The instructor told everyone to find a space on the floor. Nate took Elena’s hands when he was instructed, and the two of them stepped in time as they were told.

“You look tense,” she said, with a laugh.

“I hate this. I’m not a dancer.”

“Really? _With a body like that?_ ” Elena echoed Priya’s words.

Nate laughed, almost embarrassed, “Does Priya have a thing for me?”

“She might.”

The two of them stepped in time with the music. It was surprisingly simple. Elena had one hand on his shoulder, he had one hand on the back of her shoulder blade. There was enough space for Sully to fit between them. They frequently met eyes and dropped their gaze just as fast. They were dancing like two teenagers at prom, nervous and awkward.

“Now you’ve mastered the steps,” the instructor said in a heavily accented voice, “it’s time to think about the sensuality of dance.”

Elena and Nate met eyes, and immediately looked away.

“This was a mistake,” Nate muttered.

“Move closer to each other, feel your partner’s body. Every muscle, every sinew sings for you as you move in time to the music.”

“Oh god,” Elena breathed, making no move to close the gap between them.

“Feel the rhythm _through_ your partner’s body.”

Nate did not want to feel the rhythm through Elena’s body. Or he did, and that was the problem. Either way, he remained where he was, keeping a Sully-sized space between them.

The instructor started walking through the room, offering praise or corrections to the couples as she passed. She told Faustino and Priya they were doing brilliantly, and then she turned to Elena and Nate. She tilted her head to the side, surveying them. She tutted and walked around Nate.

She seized his hips.

“Whoa!” Nate said.

She pushed him closer to Elena. Then she walked around to the side of them, placed a hand on both of their backs and pushed until they were pressed firmly together. She was surprisingly strong for such a lithe woman.

“Now,” she said happily, “you can _feel_ each other.”

“Oh, I can feel something,” Nate said through clenched teeth. He thought of Sully. He thought of Tenzin. He thought of anything that would keep the blood firmly in his head.

“Don’t be shy,” the instructor scolded, “she is your wife, isn’t she? And such a beautiful woman, surely you wish to be close to her?”

“I...” Nate couldn’t speak.

“And you, your husband is strong, can you feel his strength?”

Elena looked to the floor, unable to face either Nate or the instructor. After watching the two of them stiffly dance together, the instructor left with another disappointed tut. Elena giggled as soon as she was out of earshot, stepping back. She covered her mouth as she laughed again, trying and failing to keep a straight face. A few couples turned to look at them.

“I’m glad you find this funny,” Nate said, feeling his own smile creep onto his face.

“I’m sorry,” she laughed, “this is just the worst thing we’ve ever done.”

“Really? Including fighting the guardians in Shambalah?”

“I’d rather do that, hands-down.”

“Me too.”

Nate laughed with her, the two of them giving up their painful attempts to dance together. He was glad she found this as horrible as he did, and he was even more glad Chloe and Sully couldn’t see them in here.

Faustino and Priya danced towards them. Faustino offered his hand to Elena, “May I cut in?”

“Sure,” Nate said and Elena placed her in hand in Faustino’s. She flicked a look at Nate as she was pulled away, and her expression said _Help Me._

He couldn’t help her, because Priya was stood beside him expectantly. He offered her his hand, “Would you like to dance? I can’t promise I’m any good.”

“I’ll show you how.”

“I like a woman who takes control.”

Priya laughed gleefully, “I can see why you’re with Elena.”

Priya lead the dance, which Nate was grateful for, because it allowed him to peek over her head to Elena and Faustino. Faustino was doing a lot better at sweeping Elena off her feet. He watched with jealousy as he dipped Elena low, making her laugh.

“Ah, I see I’ll never win your heart,” Priya said with exaggerated disappointment.

“Huh?” Nate asked.

Priya stopped dancing and patted his cheek warmly, “You only have eyes for her. There’s no chance of you straying, is there?”

“Never.”

“I’ll send her back before you miss her too much.”

Priya rejoined Faustino and Elena. Faustino released Elena and kissed Priya quickly. Elena came back to Nate. She leaned up to him and for a split second, he thought she was going to kiss him. He couldn’t decide if he was more relieved or frustrated when she hugged him instead.

She brought her mouth to his earpiece, “Faustino is taking Priya out tonight. He says he has a surprise.”

Sully’s voice buzzed back, “That’s our girl.”

“At least _someone_ stayed on topic, right, Nate?” Chloe said.

“Ha, ha,” Nate said sarcastically. To Elena, he said, “Shall we get out of here?”

“God, yes.”


	10. Chapter 10

That evening, Elena and Nate were sat on the balcony bench. Elena was reading, Nate was playing Snake on Elena’s mobile and angrily muttering every time he died. Priya and Faustino had left the hotel an hour ago for Faustino’s big surprise, but neither of them had wanted to follow them. This time, Nate was happy to let Chloe and Sully handle it, lest he and Elena get caught in another situation that resulted in a fake kiss.

As much as he had enjoyed their last one, he thought it would be best not to do it again.

Their earpieces buzzed and Sully said, “We’re on their trail, heading out of town.”

“Got it,” Nate said. He put Elena’s phone down and looked at the bottle of champagne that had been delivered to their room. He wanted a drink, but he really didn’t want that. His stomach lurched at the thought.

Elena looked up from her book and followed his gaze. She shut the book and tossed it onto the table.

“I never thought I’d say this,” she said, “But I am so tired of free champagne and fancy food.”

“Me too.”

She twisted in her seat to face him, “Chloe and Sully are on it, there’s nothing we can do to help. So, what do you say we get some cold beer and go to the pool?”

“Elena Fisher, I’m so glad I married you,” Nate exclaimed.

Elena rolled her eyes. The two of them headed down to the pool, but they were met with a locked door. Nate pushed on the door again but it didn’t budge.

“It’s locked.”

“When has a locked door ever stopped Nathan Drake?” Elena asked, surprised.

Nate took a step back. He looked around the door for a window he could shimmy through, or conveniently placed bricks he could climb to get past the locked door. An idea occurred to him then and he gave up his hunt.

He grabbed Elena’s hand, “Actually, I have a better idea.”

* * *

Less than an hour later, Elena was stood barefoot on a sandy beach. She could smell the salt from the sea, feel the cool breeze on her face. The sea was inky black and huge in the darkness, moonlight sparkling off the waves.

Next to her, Nate flopped to the sand. They’d left their earpieces in the hotel. They could be of no help to Sully and Chloe right now, and Elena thought the two of them needed a break from being watched. She heard the sound of a beer being opened and Nate pressed the cold bottle into her hand.

She sat down next to him, sand immediately slipping into her shorts. Behind them, the town was alight with street lamps and shop signs, giving them just enough light to see by.

“I love the beach,” Nate said.

“Me too.” Elena sipped her beer. “Our marital home should be on the beach.”

“I’ll toast to that,” Nate clinked his bottle against hers and took a sip. He sighed with satisfaction.

Nate reached across to her, his hand finding hers. His fingers went to the wedding ring she hadn’t removed, like they always did. She watched him stare out to sea, a thoughtful look on his face. He’d had the same look on his face since she’d told him to kiss her.

When she’d woken up this morning, he’d still been wrapped around her. She had woken briefly when he’d left her, and she’d watched him look distressed on the phone to someone. She knew then that he was struggling with this fake marriage as much as she was.

She was glad to be alone with him now.

If she had fake married Sully, she knew feelings wouldn’t have developed. She could hug Sully without feeling her heart start drumming in her chest. She could see Sully in a linen shirt and not think about what was underneath. She could share a beer with Sully without thinking about the taste on his lips.

Sully wouldn’t hold her hand and gaze thoughtfully out to sea.

“Why do you always do that?” she asked.

Nate startled out of his thoughts, his eyes wide. It was hard to see in the darkness, but she knew his eyes would be the same shade as the water in the rock pools.

See, there was another thing. She didn’t know the colour of Sully’s eyes.

“Do what?” he asked.

She lifted her hand which he was still holding, “Play with the ring. Where did you get this ring, Nate?”

He looked guilty for a split second before he hid it behind another swig of beer. There was more to this wedding ring than he let on. It fit her so well, like it was made for her.

“Is it an ex girlfriend’s ring?” she asked.

“Are you crazy? It’s not an ex’s ring,” Nate said, like the very idea was insane.

“Then what? Because I don’t believe you found it somewhere.”

“Why does it matter?” Nate dropped her hand, that wrinkle of thought back between his eyebrows.

It was a sensitive subject. She wanted to know, desperately, where the ring had come from. Had he found it? Had he bought it? Was it a gift from someone? Or to someone? What was so special about this ring and why had he had it in his satchel in the middle of a mission?

He wouldn’t tell her if she pushed though. Instead, she inched her hand across the sand, eased her fingers in the gaps between his. He gave her hand two squeezes and she smiled, both of them looking out into the dark sea. The breeze picked up, and Elena shuffled closer to Nate.

“How cold do you think it is?” she asked, suddenly.

“What? The sea?” Elena nodded and Nate drew his eyebrows together, “I don’t know, freezing.”

“I dare you to go in.”

A smile crept onto Nate’s confused face, “Why would I do that?”

“Are you scared?” she teased.

“Of the sea? No, I’ve swam in way worse.”

Elena shrugged and brought her beer to her lips, “It seems like you’re scared.”

“I’ve swam in stuff that would make you shudder.”

“ _Impressive._ ”

“It is impressive, thanks.”

Elena pushed her beer bottle into the sand to keep it upright. She stood up, dusting the sand off her thighs. She turned to face Nate, her back to the sea. She took a few steps backwards towards the crashing waves.

“Okay, cowboy, prove it.”

“Prove I’m not scared?”

“Unless you’re a chicken?”

“I don’t want to freeze to death, that doesn’t make me a chicken.”

Elena moved her arms to mimic chicken wings and made a clucking sound. She grinned when Nate let out an indignant laugh. She was riling him up. There was nothing that got to Nate more than being called a chicken. She walked backwards towards the waves and he watched her.

She spun towards the sea abruptly, peeling her t-shirt off and flinging to the side.

“Elena!” Nate spluttered when she started running.

She shook out of her shorts as she ran, managing to avoid falling as they pooled into the sand. She ran headlong into the sea, not stopping when the cold water lapped at her feet. She kept going, letting the water climb higher, over her ankles, her knees, her thighs.

“Elena!”

Elena dove under the water. The black, cold water enveloped her. It was cold but not as cold as she’d expected. Her blood was thrumming through her veins. She swam deeper, wearing nothing but her underwear. She felt slimy seaweed skim past her, a rock scratch her foot. She surfaced, her hair heavy with water, the breeze bringing goosebumps up on her skin.

“Elena,” Nate called from the shore, “please tell me you’re a strong swimmer.”

He was just a silhouette on the beach from this distance. She could make out his broad shoulders, one arm held up to wave at her.

“Are you?” she called back.

“I told you, I’ve swam in worse than this!”

“You haven’t even swam in this yet.”

“Because-”

She shouted over his voice, “Because you’re a coward!”

Nate shouted something that the wind stole, but she knew it would be argumentative. She laughed to herself, sometimes he was so easy. She watched his silhouette take off his shirt, felt her chest tighten. She was too far away to see anything, but she wanted to. He took off his trousers and she wolf-whistled.

“Funny!” he shouted, sarcastically.

He waded into the sea. She paddled to keep herself upright as he inched his way in.

“I’ve seen Sully move faster than that!” she shouted.

“Just give me a minute!”

“Before the sun comes up would be nice.”

Nate bent over to swim when he could wade no further, “Oh god. That’s cold. That’s so cold.”

He swam over to her, breathing shallow from the cold. She rolled her eyes with exaggeration to make sure he saw her.

“You’re such a baby.”

“You’re crazy,” he said. After a beat, he looked around them expectantly, “Well, we’re in the sea, freezing cold, what now?”

Elena splashed water over him and he gasped. For a second, he just looked shocked before a familiar mischievous look came over his face. He swept an armful of water at her and she couldn’t dodge away fast enough. When it was thrown over her face, she felt again how cold the sea actually was. She laughed through her screech.

Nate ducked under the water suddenly and grabbed her ankle, dragging her under too. She didn’t have time to yelp before she was under. Water went up her nose. They surfaced together, laughing and choking on water. Elena wiped her wet hair out of her face.

They had drifted closer, the waves intent on keeping them together.

Out here, this far from shore, they only had the moon for light. It caught on the tops of waves, creating soft silver flashes here and there. It glinted off the water on Nate’s bare shoulders, and Elena felt her hand moving out to wipe a few droplets off his neck without meaning to.

His eyes darted down to her lips, just like they had in the restaurant. This time she was feeling brave. She closed the distance between them, brought their faces together. He leaned towards her first, his lips meeting hers. He tasted like saltwater, his hands were cold when they found her bare waist. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding onto him like he was the only thing keeping her from drowning. Their knees bumped together as they paddled to stay afloat.

This couldn’t be fake. They weren’t wearing their earpieces, they weren’t being watched. They weren’t a married couple, they were just Elena and Nate, shivering in the sea. This was real, and Elena could feel her heartbeat thundering in her chest. Nate’s hands slid down her back, over the curve of her backside. She thrust her hips against him, running her fingers through his hair and eliciting a soft moan from his lips.

Suddenly a bright light was over them. Elena pulled away from Nate, breathlessly, blinking into the beam. She gasped when she saw it was a torch pointed at them. Nate placed a hand on her upper arm protectively as she twisted her body towards him to stay hidden.

“Ei,” a man shouted. He shouted something in Portuguese that Elena didn’t quite catch, because she was still focused on the impossibly bright beam of his torch.

“We’re American,” Nate shouted back.

“This is a public beach, please get dressed,” the man shouted in a heavy accent.

“Sorry!” Elena shouted, “We’re on our honeymoon. We just got married.”

“Oh.” There was a long pause where the beam slowly moved away from them, “Congratulations.”

Elena and Nate watched the silhouette of the man carry on down the shore. He might have been a police officer, or just a local tired of tourists, either way he was not impressed. When the man was far enough away, Elena let out an embarrassed laugh. Nate met her eyes and the two of them burst into laughter. It was breathless laughter that made Elena gasp. She was cold and shivering and tired from keeping herself afloat against the constant waves. She wanted to kiss Nate again.

He ran the back of his hand along her cheek, “Can we get out of the freezing cold sea now?”

They swam back to shore. It was colder out of the sea than it was in. Nate pulled on his shorts and Elena spotted a tantalising flash of skin. She found her own shorts, and had to go trekking across the beach in search of her t-shirt. Her hair dripped water down her shoulders, her t-shirt stuck to her wet skin.

She turned to Nate to say something but she forgot her words as soon as Nate seized her. He kissed her again, eagerly and wonderfully. She arched into him, their wet clothes pressed together. He pulled away slightly, planting smaller kisses on her lips like he was weaning himself away from her.

They found their beers and drank them as they walked back into town.

Nate tossed his bottle into the bin, “We should get back before Sully and Chloe worry.”

“Actually,” Elena took his hand, “I have a better idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these two!! I can't.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so idk whether to change the rating to explicit after this. I tried to keep it relatively clean, if you disagree with my rating, please let me know.  
> Enjoy, as always :)

Nate followed Elena into the first bar they found. She pulled him up to the bar and slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. They were both still damp and she smelt like the ocean. She leaned against his side to share his warmth and he couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“We just got married,” Elena told the bartender.

“Congratulations, how about two cocktails?”

“Thank you!”

The bartender smiled warmly at her and left to make their drinks. Nate pulled a stool out from under the bar and Elena hopped up onto it. She twisted to face him, her knees between his legs. Nate met her smile with a bright one of his own. He took her hand and pressed it to his lips.

The bartender placed two orange cocktails in front of them, and then brought over two shots of vodka.

“It’s on the house,” he said, when Nate went to hand over Chloe’s credit card.

When the bartender left, Elena winked at him, “I thought it might be.”

He picked up one of the shots in a toast, “To the perks of married life.”

Elena picked up her own shot and they clinked them together. They threw back their shots. The vodka burnt its way down Nate’s throat, warming him up after his dip in the sea. He tried his cocktail, it tasted like orange juice and something sharp and sweet. Whatever it was, it was strong.

Nate’s shirt was sticking to his stomach from the water and Elena pulled the damp fabric away to unstick it.

“Trying to undress me?” he asked.

“You wish.”

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug that suggested it wasn’t far off what he wished for. He thought about the kiss, the sea trying to drag them down as they pressed together, clinging to each other. Elena shivered as the water evaporated off her in the warm bar, and Nate rubbed the goosebumps off her arms.

“Hey, did I hear you two just got married?” someone asked them.

Nate smiled at the stranger, “We sure did.”

“Congratulations, let me buy you a drink,” the man said.

“Elena, my dear, what would you like?”

Elena glanced at the many bottles on the shelves behind the bar, “I think more vodka shots are best.”

“That’s my wife,” Nate said proudly.

The man ordered their drinks. He shook Nate’s hand and kissed Elena’s cheeks as he congratulated them once again. Their shots came, and they threw them back expertly. Nate caught Elena’s face and kissed her, tasting vodka on her tongue. She laughed, her hands grabbing his torso before he could move too far away.

When they’d drained their glasses, they decided to move on. The _we’re on our honeymoon_ trick would only work once on the bartender, and Chloe would kill them if they racked up any more cost on her credit card. Nate wrapped an arm around Elena’s shoulders as they left.

They were already swaying tipsily, staggering occasionally to dodge the other tourists walking down the street. Nate paused suddenly, dragging Elena to a halt. He pulled out his journal and a pencil, his eyes surprisingly focused on the church ahead of them. He started sketching deftly. Abruptly, Elena hugged him, and he moved his journal in surprise to avoid ruining his sketch.

“What’s this for?” he asked.

She pressed her face into his shoulder, “I didn’t want to freeze to death waiting for you to finish.”

He laughed. He brought his arms around her in a half hug as he continued his sketch. The wind parted around the two of them. When he was done with his sketch, Nate closed his journal and wrapped his arms around her tighter. He rested his chin on top of her head, shutting his eyes peacefully.

“I’m finished,” he said.

Neither of them made a move to leave.

After another moment pressed together, Elena said, “More booze, Mr. Fisher?”

“Always, Mrs. Drake.”

They went into the next bar. They announced their recent wedding, and were rewarded with a round of beers from a group of women on a Hen Do. The soon-to-be bride asked Elena how to have a successful marriage, and Elena shrugged which made Nate laugh loudly.

After their beers, Nate ordered two rum and cokes, and they came on the house much like they’d expected. Nate was losing count of how much they’d drank. His head was spinning, and Elena was holding onto his waist to keep herself upright. He wrapped a section of her hair around his finger, watching it curl from the saltwater.

When they stumbled out of this bar, Nate pointed across the street triumphantly. Elena drew her eyebrows together in confusion.

“Have you seen another building you want to draw? Can you even… can you even hold a pencil?” she asked.

“Massage parlour,” he said, pointing. “Do you want a massage? It seemed like you liked mine earlier.”

“I hate you so much.”

“Divorce, then?”

“Yes, please.”

* * *

Somehow they made it back to the hotel. It may have taken them almost forty-five minutes to walk what should’ve been a ten minute journey but they made it back. They were staggering, and laughing, and catching each other before they crashed into the marble statues around the lobby. They didn’t let go of each other as they made their slow way to the lift. It took Nate three times to swipe his keycard properly and press the button to their hotel room.

The doors opened and the two of them stumbled out into their room. Nate collapsed onto the bed, kicking off his shoes. Elena flopped down next to him, her head on one of his outstretched arms, her own sandals abandoned by the lift. Nate rolled his head to look at her.

“I reckon you could outdrink Sully,” he said, his words slipping and sliding in his mouth.

“What a compliment. I had fun tonight.”

“Me too. Turns out, you’re a pretty good dancer.”

“Pretty good?”

Nate shrugged, “You’re not the best.”

“Says you.”

Nate pulled his arm out from under her and stood up on unsteady feet. He pulled his journal and pencil out and chucked them towards the table. He did the same with Chloe’s credit card, and a few vouchers for free drinks he’d collected over the night. Pockets empty, he returned to the bed. He leaned next to Elena, his face above hers. Her eyes roamed across his strong shoulders, the day old scruff on his jaw, his soft blue eyes.

He leaned down and kissed her softly. His hand cupped her cheek. Elena ran her hands up his strong arms. She pulled him down onto her, he could feel her body against his. Nate pushed his legs between her thighs, one hand under her t-shirt against the soft skin of her stomach. She unbuttoned his shirt, her fingers fumbling a few times as he pressed tender kisses down the side of her neck.

His lips found her collar bones, she pushed his shirt off his shoulders. He moved just enough to let the shirt fall to floor, his breath hot on her clavicle. She dragged her nails lightly down his back, he pushed his hips against hers. His hand slipped under her bra.

Elena was breathless. He pulled her leg up and around his hip, lifting her t-shirt to bring them skin-to-skin. They were wearing too many clothes, there was too much space between them.

“Nate,” she purred.

“This is real,” he whispered back, unpopping the button of her shorts.

She hummed in agreement, as she pulled his mouth back to hers.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the last chapter! I'll upload a short epilogue today too.

The elevator doors breezed open and shouting filled the room. Elena’s head felt like it was cracked open. She shot upright in bed, the sunlight cut her eyes like glass shards. She covered her face with one hand, the other grabbing the sheets before they fell off her bare chest. An aching groan came from her throat. She looked up at her attackers and found Sully and Chloe pointing guns at her.

Nate sat up, looking equally pained by the daylight. The sheets slipped down his chest, flashing bare, tanned skin.

Chloe took in the scene in front of her. Her two accomplices naked in bed, very clearly and painfully hungover. She lowered her gun, “Oh, jesus, Nate!”

“Hey,” Nate said, protesting the loud noise, “this wasn’t just my idea.”

“It was a mutual decision,” Elena agreed, tiredly.

“Oh, Elena,” Chloe said, disappointedly. She shoved her gun back into her holster. “You’ve had your radios off for fourteen hours. We thought you were dead!”

“We might be,” Elena muttered, lying back down and pulling the covers over her head.

“Maybe we should leave them to it,” Sully offered.

“Fine, but I want you dressed, sober, and back in the shop in an hour,” Chloe grumbled.

“Sully,” Elena called from under the covers, “Can you have room service send up some pancakes.”

“You got it, darling,” Sully followed Chloe into the lift and the two of them disappeared.

Nate peeled the covers off Elena’s head and she glowered at him. His eyes took in the view of her nude body.

“You’re so not a morning person,” he said.

“I drank so much, Nate. I think I might genuinely die.”

“Nah, you’ve survived worse than this.”

“Barely.”

Nate rubbed his face with his hand. Elena tried to remember last night, but all she saw was unending alcohol. She remembered getting back to the hotel, she remembered being in bed with Nate and what had ensued after, but the middle bit was murky.

“What happened last night?” she asked.

“We drank half the island dry.”

Elena pulled the covers back over her head. Nate sank lower and joined her under the covers. He pressed a kiss to her lips and she winced.

“Ugh, you taste like beer,” she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.

“We only have an hour. Chloe won’t hesitate to shoot us if we’re late.”

“Let her.”

Nate pressed a kiss to the top of her knotty hair and was met with another annoyed grunt from her.

Just over an hour later, more tired than before, Nate and Elena walked into the abandoned shop Chloe and Sully had been using as a base for the past few days. It was nowhere near as fancy as Nate and Elena’s hotel, but they’d cleaned it up a lot since they were last here. Chloe was sat on a wooden box by the mostly boarded up window, and Sully was smoking a cigar by the door.

“Well, hey, look who got dressed,” he said when they walked in.

Chloe spun to face them, “Are you ready to focus or do you need a cold shower?”

“We’re ready,” Elena said.

“Speak for yourself,” Nate said. He took a seat on a wooden box and asked, “What happened to you two last night?”

“Apparently, we didn’t have as much fun as you two,” Chloe said.

Sully rolled out a map onto a box they’d clearly been using as a table, “We followed Faustino to a storage company here. After he’d left, we confirmed the Twins were in storage.”

“Amongst other expensive items,” Chloe added.

Elena sat down next to Nate, careful to keep a respectable distance away from him, lest Chloe and Sully make more jokes about them, “But he didn’t give them to Priya?”

“Not yet,” Chloe said, joining them around their makeshift table, “We think the drop off is today, we should load up and steal them now before we miss our chance.”

“There were guards all over that place. I don’t know if the, er, hungover honeymooners here are up for a gunfight,” Sully said.

“We’ll be fine,” Elena said, even as she felt bile crawl up her throat. Really, all she wanted to do was lie in bed with Nate all day. Eat expensive food, sit and read on the balcony, place kisses down Nate’s throat. She’d gone soft in that hotel.

Everyone started getting ready. Elena and Nate were moving slowly, each movement taking up way more energy than they had. This was going to be a tough fight.

“Can we get food on the way?” Nate asked.

It wasn’t long before they were being shot at, but then again, it never was with Nate. Every gunshot made Elena’s head pound. Usually, she enjoyed the thrill of a gunfight, but right now she just wanted to lie down.

She ducked around a wall for cover, her eyes landing on Nate crouched behind an upturned desk. He met her eyes, and she could practically see the gears turning in his head. She wanted to tell him she loved him. She didn’t know why it felt so important to say it now of all times.

Maybe it was the hangover. Maybe it was the bullets threatening to kill them any second. Maybe it was just that she was one hundred percent sure about her feelings. She didn’t know. She remembered kissing him last night in the sea, the water freezing but his breath warm.

She thought about the hard muscle of his shoulders and his abs. His hands on her waist, his lips on her thighs.

A volley of bullets lodged themselves in the wall she was ducked behind. She leaned around and shot the guy aiming for her head.

“Elena!” Nate shouted.

“What?”

“It was for you.”

“Huh?”

She saw Nate duck lower when a shotgun went off near him. She was about to fire at the shotgunner, when a gunshot came from above her. She spotted Sully on an upper level, who nodded at Nate to continue.

Nate faced Elena, across the room. “The wedding ring is yours. I bought it for you.”

Elena looked down at the ring on her finger. It was too loud to think in here. “What? I don’t understand.”

Nate powered on, “I was going to propose, after Shambalah. But I chickened out and I’ve carried it with me ever since. It’s yours, Elena, that’s why it fits so well, that’s why I always touched it. It’s yours, and I want you to marry me.”

“Sully, cover me,” Elena shouted.

“On it.”

Elena burst out of cover. She ran straight for Nate and they crashed together against the table. She kissed him desperately, like they’d never have another chance. They’d survived worst than this, but Nate still clung to her like she would be snatched away from him. She didn’t care about the bullets, or the chance they were being flanked, or even the Musgravite Twins. She just wanted to be with him, even if it meant getting shot.

“Now is not the time!” Chloe shouted.

Elena ignored her. It was not the comfiest position to be in, it was not the most romantic setting, they were both dying from their hangover. They both tasted like stale beer, they needed to shower. But it was perfect. It was so very Nathan Drake to confess to her like this. It was the best kiss they’d ever had.

The gunfire had stopped, silence filled the room.

“Do you two want to die?” Chloe demanded.

“I don’t think they’re listening,” Sully said, sounding amused.

“I can’t watch this anymore, I’m going to find the Twins.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll join you.”

Elena pulled away when Chloe and Sully had left. She kept her face close to his, her cheeks flushed, her hair a mess. There was a splinter of wood in Nate’s hair and she pulled it out.

“Were you really going to propose?” she asked. Nate nodded and she placed her hands on either side of his face lovingly, “Why didn’t you?”

He moved his arms like chicken wings and made a clucking sound. Elena laughed, and he pulled her back into a kiss, their teeth bumping together as they both smiled. His hand founds hers, his fingers seeking out the silver ring that should’ve been hers long ago.


	13. Chapter 13

Two Months Later

“You know, Priya’s a very good author,” Elena said.

Nate accepted the beer Sully offered to him, “Oh yeah?”

Sully, Nate, and Elena had met in a pub at Chloe’s instruction. She wasn’t here yet, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t start drinking. Elena thanked Sully for her beer, but didn’t look up from the book she’d bought on the way over. On the cover was a couple embraced on a beach. The woman was blond, the man brunette. Though both were much more attractive than either Nate or Elena, the resemblance was clear.

“Yeah, listen to this, _Nick was a handsome man and he knew it. He was arrogant, self-assured, and always ready with a quippy comeback._ ”

“She really captured the essence of you, Nate,” Sully said with a laugh.

“Ha-ha,” Nate said sarcastically, “What did she say about you?”

Elena held up her hand to silence him, “ _One could forgive Nick for his arrogance-”_

“She really likes that word,” Nate muttered.

“ _because it hid a wealth of love and desire for his wife, Ellie._ ” Elena grinned at him, and he rolled his eyes.

“We were acting. She’s just saying I’m a good actor.”

“No, I think she’s got you dead right there.”

Nate plucked the book out of her hands, pulling it out of her reach before she could snatch it back. He read aloud as he fought off her hands, _“Nick was not the only one so evidently, desperately in love. Ellie, too, had only eyes for her husband. No other conversation seemed to hold her interest, and her eyes never left Nick’s face for long._ ”

“Ugh, this is making my lunch come back up,” Sully said.

Elena lunged toward the book, and Nate caught her in a kiss before she could dodge it. She snatched the book out of his hands and buried her face back into it.

“You two are still together then,” Chloe’s voice startled them all, and she dropped a rather full looking bag onto the table. She took the seat next to Sully, and accepted the beer offered to her. “That must be a new record for you, Nate.”

“These two are always together,” Sully said. He tried to sound irritated but he ended up sounding proud instead.

“Well, congratulations, because I just funded your wedding.” Chloe unzipped the bag and the other three leaned in to see the rolled up banknotes.

“70k?” Sully asked.

Chloe smiled triumphantly, “I got us 80. Which splits neatly between four.”

“What about Charlie?” Elena asked.

“I grabbed something from Faustino’s expansive collection, just for him,” Chloe said. She paused and then added, “Oh! And he wanted me to tell you, Elena, that you’re making a huge mistake by marrying Nate and it’s not too late to run.”

Nate narrowed his eyes, “Funny. Such funny people.”

Elena laughed and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. She pecked him on the cheek, and he held onto her hand. She was still wearing her ring, it wouldn’t be long before he had a matching one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it's done! Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and the kudos you left. I hope the ending lived up to your expectations. I'll miss these two. 
> 
> Thanks again!


End file.
